Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
A THREE-MEMBER Fifa delegation has been dispatched to Zimbabwe on a fact-finding mission, which is a major step towards the country’s readmission to the international game.
Fifa’s senior manager member associations and governance Sarah Solemale, Solomon Mudege who is the head of development programmes Africa and Fifa’s regional office development manager Southern Africa David Fani are expected to jet into the country tomorrow for their visit.
Solemale, a sports lawyer and a governance specialist promoting sports diplomacy and focusing on crisis management, strategic thinking, policy-making, advocacy, negotiations mastery and dispute resolution is the head of delegation.
Impeccable sources revealed that the Fifa delegation will meet the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC), ousted Zifa officials led by Felton Kamambo, the Zifa executive committee headed by interim president Gift Banda, the Premier Soccer League and the Footballers Union of Zimbabwe (Fuz). Sources revealed that the delegation is also keen on meeting women’s football representatives.
Repeated efforts to get comment from Zifa and the SRC were fruitless, with sources saying the two organs were busy planning for the Independence Cup soccer celebratory match between giants Highlanders and Dynamos to be played in Mt Darwin.
Fifa suspended Zimbabwe from participating in international football for what it termed “third party interference” in Zifa’s internal affairs. This came after the SRC suspended the Kamambo led Zifa executive committee in November 2021.
In April last year, Zifa councillors met and unanimously agreed to revoke the mandates of Kamambo, board members Philemon Machana, Bryton Malandule and Stanley Chapeta, while absolving Farai Jere, Sugar Chagonda and Barbra Chikosi.
Banda, who had been closed out by the Kamambo board despite being cleared by the disciplinary committee of any wrongdoing, was engaged by the councillors to lead the board in an acting capacity.
Zimbabwe’s being frozen out of the Fifa family has seen the country’s national teams being barred from playing with other countries, local clubs cannot take part in Confederation of African Football competitions while local referees are no longer getting assignments outside the country. In addition to that Zimbabwe cannot benefit from any Fifa or Caf funding.
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