Fifa speak on Chafa case

Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE and Dynamos midfielder Devon Chafa has been cleared to continue with his career at least until the Fifa disciplinary committee deals with his doping case, with the world soccer governing body yesterday also confirming that the Warriors status as African Nations Championships finalists was not under any threat.

There had been speculation torched by some overzealous social media experts that Zimbabwe would be booted out of the 2014 CHAN tournament following Chafa’s failure of a Fifa doping test earlier in July.

Some of the doomsday experts had even spread rumours via Facebook and other social media sites that the player had been banned while the Warriors, who upstaged Zambia 1-0 in Ndola, would be disqualified with Chipolopolo being asked to take Zimbabwe’s place at the CHAN finals in South Africa next January.

Fifa, however, poured cold water on all that speculation yesterday when they indicated that their investigations into the Chafa case had been concluded and that the matter had now been handed over to their disciplinary committee.

Crucially for the Warriors and their multitude of fans, the world body clarified that the Chafa case had not and would not in any way jeopardise Zimbabwe’s CHAN status and Ian “Dibango’’ Gorowa’s men remain part of the 16 teams that will line up at the competition that is reserved for those players plying their trade in their national leagues only.

Warriors doctor Nick Munyonga last night reiterated that the Warriors’ place had never been thrown into doubt because of the matter in which Chafa was found guilty of using a specified substance in the medication prescribed to him by a family doctor.

Munyonga, who also heads the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee’s medical commission and is a member of the World Anti-doping agency, said the “unfortunate buzz that had been created by claims that Chafa’s doping test had affected the Warriors’ CHAN qualification, highlighted the need for stronger education of the game’s stakeholders.

The affable Warriors doctor also explained the stages through which the Chafa case had gone up to yesterday when Fifa decided to hand it over to their FDC for their determination.

Munyonga said although the matter was still ongoing, the 22-year-old Dynamos midfield workhorse was free to continue playing until Fifa, through their disciplinary committee, had ruled otherwise.

“The current development is that Chafa’s doping case is still ongoing in that any such cases happen in three phases which are notification of a positive result which happened before we played Mauritius (in the CHAN first round) and the player’s acknowledgement of it.

“There is also the investigatory aspect where you gather facts about the case like in this case Chafa tested positive for a specified substance.
“In his case, there was unintentional use of a performance-enhancing substance, so you want to get clear indication of how the substance ended up in the player’s system and I have been assisting in that regard and Chafa’s family doctor has been co-operative in that regard.

“That process finished yesterday and Fifa wrote informing us that they are done with investigations and are now handing over the case to the FDC.
“Because Chafa was tested by Fifa, only the FDC has jurisdiction over the matter and no other body, not even Caf, Cosafa or Zifa and that is what we are waiting for now,’’ Munyonga said.

Munyonga also outlined why Chafa’s case, despite all the hype it had created, had not threatened to scupper the Warriors’ qualification.
“Right from the onset, we were very clear that the positive test for Chafa had nothing to do with CHAN for two reasons . . . that he was not tested in a CHAN match and when he played in the CHAN qualifiers he was and is still eligible to play in any match’’.

Munyonga also cited a section of the Fifa anti-doping rules which deals with the eligibility of a player when explaining why Chafa would continue with his Warriors and Dynamos career.

“The period of eligibility according to the Fifa anti-doping code rule 53.1 states that: The period of eligibility shall start as soon as the decision of ineligibility is communicated to the player concerned.

“As far as we know that decision has not been made because the FDC, with the jurisdiction is yet to look into the matter so the player can play any match with no cloud of doubt over him until we receive notification from the FDC.

“It is unfortunate that information leaked because it has grossly affected the player but I have been in touch with the player everyday updating and counselling him so that he has a clear mind and I must say he is a very strong character.

“But from the positive tests and the substance, the player is slowly understanding that there is quite a lot of information gap on everyone else, from the media to the players and that is why his case has been ballooned out of proportion’’.

Despite the player having been in the eye of the raging storm, Munyonga reckoned that Chafa would still be ready to resume his Dynamos duties when DeMbare travel to Barbourfields for a BancABC semi-final clash against Shabanie Mine on Sunday.

“From talking to him he is ready to play and prove his critics wrong. He is actually worried about his future in terms of international contracts but like I said he is a strong character and I have assured him that he is clean until proven guilty and he must not suspend himself until proven guilty,’’ Munyonga said.

Munyonga also noted the need for an educational exercise on anti-doping on the game’s key stakeholders.
“What we need to step up on is the education aspect in terms of everyone concerned. If the media was knowledgeable, the issue would have been handled properly, if Zifa were knowledgeable, the issue would have been handled properly, if the doctors were knowledgeable, the issue would have been handled better and if the players were knowledgeable, the issue would have been different.

“At Zifa we are trying to put up a small anti-doping committee that can assist in educating the players and team doctors and we have tried to incorporate anti-doping in the courses for administrators.

“We are hoping to hold a workshop for the media too and for the sponsored tournaments like the Mbada Diamonds Cup and for the Castle Lager Premiership we have suggested that if they can set aside US$5 000 for anti-doing, that will go a long way in helping everybody,’’ Munyonga said.