adminThe Central Region Disciplinary Committee docked points from the club after finding them guilty of using an “illegal player or irregularly” registered player.
The player at the centre of the controversy is Tatenda Chingarah who is alleged to have been registered upon his return from Namibia without a reverse international clearance.
When Chingarah moved to Hardbody, he was coming from Big Valley Masters (BVM).
Sources told Chronicle Sport that Chingarah’s clearance at Zifa was secured from a club called Majoni FC.
Repeated efforts to establish where this Majoni FC is were fruitless as an unidentified Central Region administrative officer said he needed clearance from his bosses to confirm the development.
Hardbody wants its points reinstated and in the event of them winning the appeal, they will be the champions of the Central Soccer League.
After having been docked the 42 points, Beitbridge’s Tripple B moved to the top of the league and in the event of Hardbody losing the appeal, Tripple B will be the champions and this will mean a return of
Premiership action to the border town.
Zifa chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze confirmed the meeting but could not be drawn into revealing more details.
The Zifa boss said they were expecting the matter to be expeditiously resolved.
“The Hardbody FC appeal case is on tomorrow at 12noon. It will be heard before a national Appeals Committee led by Timothy Sangarume. We expect to get the outcome of the hearing on Monday,” Mashingaidze said.
Zifa wants to deal expeditiously with the matter in order to give the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League and other sponsors a chance to prepare for next season.
The Castle Lager Premiership season ended last month and winners from other regional leagues are out.
Quelaton are the Southern Region champions with Harare City winning the Northern Region League while Buffaloes are coming into the elite league from the Eastern Region.
Meanwhile, it could not be established whether or not Hardbody sponsor Takesure Sibanda who was found guilty of attempted match-fixing and fined $1 000 was also appealing against the decision.
The Hardbody benefactor was ordered to pay $800 as the $200 he wanted to give to the referee Albert Mbuse before the match against Gweru Pirates was forfeited to Zifa Central Region.
According to an audio recording, Sibanda is heard having a telephone conversation with referee Mbuse telling the match official that former Fifa referee Cosmas Nyoni is their facilitator for fixing games.
In the recording, Sibanda tells Mbuse that he gave Nyoni $1 000 to cater for the referees who will handle the Hardbody game.
The Central Region match-fixing saga has seen two board members Gift Banda and Patrick Hokonya being suspended from all football activities after Nyoni fingered them in the scam.
Also suspended are Nyoni and Zimbabwe Referees Committee (ZRC) vice-chairperson Samukeliso Silengane.
derick.khumalo