Hardbody, Tripple B tussle not over

The secretary of the Zifa Appeals Committee, Timothy Sangarwe, said there was still an avenue for an aggrieved party to take their case to the Sport Arbitration Centre.
“Any party not happy with the verdict have the right to appeal to the Sport Arbitration Centre within seven days of receiving the verdict,” said Sangarwe.
Tripple B have already indicated that they will appeal.
The Beitbridge side promised fire and brimstone in their fight to have the decision by the Zifa Appeals Committee, to give Hardbody the benefit of doubt, set aside.
Hardbody had to suspend their celebrations for winning the championship from the Zifa Central Region Division One after being docked 42 points for allegedly using an improperly registered player Tatenda Simon Chingarah.
Hardbody finished top of the log standings but had maximum points from 14 matches forfeited by the Zifa Central Region for the alleged offence.
In another controversy last season the club also had their director Takesure Sibanda slapped with a fine of US$800 after he was found guilty of attempted match-fixing.
But the Zifa Appeals Committee, led by chairperson Tererai Gunje, sitting with Sangwarwe and P. Mabhundu, restored the 42 points in the judgment released on Monday this week.
In their relief, the trio said: “The appeal be and is hereby allowed to stand.
“The penalty of the committee a quo ordering the forfeiture of forty two (42) points from the Appellant be and is hereby set aside. There be no order as to costs.”
Tripple B are cited as the Respondents while Hardbody are the Appellant in the matter.
However, it seems Hardbody’s joy could be short-lived as Tripple B, who feel aggrieved the decision from the Appeals Committee, have vowed to “take the matter further.”
Tripple B president, Nqobani Sithole, on Wednesday said his club will not rest until they get justice delivered.
“One thing very clear is that we are very skeptical of the judgment.
“The judgment is just scandalous to say the least and we have no kind words for the Appeals Committee.
“For us to have been hoping to get a judgment favourable to us was just being brave but this whole issue of the Appeals Committee is something else.
“How is it that one guy in the committee is a partner with (Ralph) Maganga, who is the Zifa lawyer?
“We are not going to take this lying down and just wait when make our next move to take the matter further up,” said Sithole.
During the hearings, Tripple B cited that the Appeals Committee’s composition had been influenced by Maganga, although this objection was later withdrawn. In upholding Hardbody’s appeal, the committee found that Chingarah had played for Big Valley Masters in 2010 in the Central Region before he was cleared to play for any “prospective team of his choice.”
“The prospective team of his choice became Hardbody Football Club.
Armed with the clearance, Hardbody registered the player, although there was serious misrepresentation as there was no mention that the Chingarah played for Sport Klub Windhoek until 2009 when he got injured and returned to Zimbabwe.”
The Appeals Committee found that Chingarah played for Big Valley Masters in 2010, although he had not been issued with a reverse international clearance from the Namibian Football Association. During his time at Big Valley Masters, Chingarah fraudulently used a licence belonging to Gift Shangwa.