adminSenior Sports Reporter
ZIFA Southern Region chairman Musa Mandaza reportedly survived attempts to oust him from office at the region’s midyear review meeting held in Hwange on Saturday. However, the burly Mandaza yesterday vehemently denied that there was an attempt to eject him insisting that the meeting instead came up with concrete resolutions.
Sources, who attended the meeting, said members were particularly incensed when Mandaza endorsed the decision to relegate just two teams from the Premier Soccer League next season without first seeking their input.
“Clubs weren’t happy that Mandaza didn’t consult them prior to the Zifa Assembly meeting. They felt since he was representing them, they should have been consulted first,” said the source.
The source said an interim committee had already been selected in the event that the coup was successful.
Mandaza rubbished the reports.
“We’ve never had any conflicts since the season began and why would we have any with just 10 games to go? The season has been going well without any controversy and so those reports are entirely not true,” he said.
It is believed those calling for the ouster of Mandaza were pushing an agenda on behalf of the Zifa national leadership that faces ouster on October 3. Meanwhile, the members agreed to increase the number of teams from 16 to 18 starting next year. This means four teams will be promoted from Division Two this season while two will be relegated at the end of this season.
“The meeting agreed that we increase the number of teams to 18, just like other regions and so it means we’ll promote four teams this season, two from Matabeleland North and an equal number from Bulawayo. We’re praying, however, that we don’t receive any team from the Premier Soccer League,” said Mandaza.
Tsholotsho are in the relegation zone and if they drop, that would disturb the entire plan and probably force the region to have play-offs.
Mandaza said the meeting also agreed to lobby the PSL and Zifa to include Division One teams in the Chibuku Super Cup since there was no FA Cup with winners of the Chibuku Super Cup representing Zimbabwe in the Caf Confederations Cup.
“The FA Cup, which gives birth to the country’s representatives in the continental competition, is usually played for by all the affiliates, but we don’t have such a cup at the moment. We agreed, therefore, to lobby for the inclusion of lower league teams in the Chibuku Super Cup. We’ll do our own preliminaries and then join the big guys when they start their campaigns,” said Mandaza.
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