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Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
Dynamos midfielder Devon Chafa, who has been provisionally suspended from football activities after testing positive for a prohibited substance, will learn his fate soon as his case is set to go before the Fifa Disciplinary Committee tomorrow. The Zimbabwe international has been on the sidelines for the last month after his provisional 30-day ban was extended by further 20 days to October 18 after the committee failed to meet within the initial time period.
Warriors team doctor Nicholas Munyonga yesterday confirmed that the 20-member committee chaired by Claudio Sulser of Switzerland will sit tomorrow although they are not compelled to release details of the judgment until next Friday when the provisional ban ends.
The Warriors doctor said they will wait until next Friday to get feedback on the position taken by the Disciplinary Committee.
“As you know the player had been provisionally suspended for an initial period of 30 days but the committee could not find time to go through the case.
“According to the regulations they have a provision to extend the suspension further by 20 days which they did up to October 18.
“The committee is meeting on October 10, which is okay. They can tell us the day after the meeting but in terms of the standing rules they have up to October 18.
“So we cannot go after them demanding to know their position before October 18 because it’s within their working time period,” said Munyonga.
Fifa opened disciplinary proceedings against Chafa last month following an adverse analytical finding in relation to a doping control conducted after the 2014 World Cup qualifier against Egypt played at National Sports Stadium on 9 June this year.
By testing positive for a prohibited substance, the player has contravened article 63 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code. Chafa, however , maintained his innocence adding that the prohibited substance could have been contained in a medical prescription.
The decision to provisionally suspend the player was taken in accordance with articles 38ff of the Fifa Anti-Doping Regulations and articles 129ff of the Fifa Disciplinary Code.
The decision was first communicated to Zifa on 30 August and the national association or the player had been given until September 16 to submit a statement and all related and supporting documentary evidence.
Munyonga said Fifa have been furnished on time with all the information they requested.
“All the information requested was sent to Fifa on time. Right now there is nothing new we can say except to wait for the Fifa Disciplinary Committee to conclude the case,” said Munyonga.
Chafa played his last game for Dynamos in the BancABC Sup8r Cup semi-finals against Shabanie at Barbourfields at the end of August and has been on the sidelines since then.
The 22-year old, who revealed that the results of the doping test and the subsequent suspension came as a shock to him, is still hoping for a quick return to the field of play once the issue is brought to finality.
Online Reporter