Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube, Zimpapers Sports Hub
FORMER Central Region Soccer League star Ephany Gwawawa who moved to Hardrock in the second transfer window and assumed a new name, Tanyaradzwa Godfrey Tsiga will appear before a disciplinary committee with his club this weekend over the fraud.
Tsiga turned out for Hardrock in their 3-0 win over ZRP Gwanda at Baghdad Stadium in August. The cops realised the discrepancies over names on the licence having played against the player under the name Ephany Gwawawa while he was at Dilibadzimu in the first round.
Patrick Hill the Central Region chairman confirmed on Monday evening that the hearing has been scheduled for this coming weekend.
“The case is going for a hearing this weekend,” is all Hill could say on Monday evening.
The veteran Gwanda-based administrator also spoke about complaints on clubs in the region buying kit for opponents arguing that as a football body they did not control organisations’ social corporate responsibility programmes.
“The Region does not control the company’s corporate social responsibility programme. There is BetterBrands which is sponsoring Scottland and assisted Simba Bhora with US$100 000, it was not an issue yet they are in the same league, it’s also sponsors some other teams and there is no issue. If the kits were sponsored by Hardrock we were going to intervene but we don’t have a team competing in our league by the name GMI,” said Hill.
GMI are believed to own Hardrock who are in fierce competition for promotion.
Sheasham on Saturday night announced they were quitting football.
Hill confirmed that the decision to accept Sheasham’s withdrawal from the Central Region League was not deliberated on by the executive.
Midlands side Sheasham who were in a hot race for the Premier Soccer League ticket, pulled out of the Central Region League on Saturday night with a cocktail of grievances. They alleged that there was no fair play in the Central Region League.
“It was not a matter deliberated by the executive members through their platform. It was looked at carefully since they had released a press statement and then a letter to the office, of that they had made a decision,” said Hill in almost contradiction.
Hill also said there has not been any finger pointed at their Gweru office for seeming bias towards log leaders Hardrock.
“All 18 teams of the Region are equal in the face of the League. And we respect all our clubs with equal voice,” said Hill.
The chairman said his board remained open to dialogue whenever there is misunderstanding.
“We are very open to dialogue with them and will remain their servants of football. We are engaging to resolve their issues and find common ground and at the end, football must be the winner,” said Hill on an evening the Zifa headquarters insisted the Gweru team was still part of the football family.
At a press conference on Monday morning, Sheasham claimed that they had been elbowed out by the way the game is being run in the region.
On Saturday, Sheasham announced that they were withdrawing from the Central Region League and national women’s division, assuring players that their contracts would be honoured.
Bongani Ndlovu