Masvingo United faces ban

Walter Mswazie in Masvingo
ZIFA Eastern Region Division One side Masvingo United’s future hangs in the balance as they face a ban for taking football matters to court seeking an interdict to stop the region from crowning Mutare City Rovers as champions in December last year.

Masvingo United emerged as the region’s Division One runners-up last season, but sought a High Court order interdicting Zifa Eastern Region from declaring Mutare City Rovers as champions for allegedly using improperly registered players before lodging a complaint with Zifa.

The case was thrown out last month by Zifa after Masvingo United failed to pay the required $4,000 fee for their case to be heard by the association’s player status committee and Mutare City Rovers were duly crowned champions and promoted to the Premier Soccer League.

Further chaos rocked Masvingo United this week after coach Johannes Nhumwa quit, while team manager Phillip Shumba is also reported to have joined rivals Masvingo City.

“I took the team for the last eight games and they did not lose a single match. They lost the championship by a whisker as they were two points adrift of the eventual winners Mutare City Rovers. However, I’m no longer with them and I don’t know who is with them now. I don’t have any contract with the team,” said Nhumwa.

Shumba has denied that he has dumped Masvingo United saying such talk was just rumours.

“I’m still with Masvingo United. The fact that we are not active does not mean that I have abandoned them. The soccer season has not even started,” said Shumba.

However, sources said Shumba was recently unveiled as the new Masvingo City manager by officials during a meeting at a local hotel.

A visit to Masvingo United’s training ground by Chronicle Sport at the Mucheke B arena revealed that players were training on their own.

They said the future looks bleak and some had already left the club.

“We don’t know our future as it stands. We are training as we want to remain in shape, but no one is saying anything to us.

“We have already lost more than eight key players to other teams in our region and if I find a team that needs my services, I will definitely leave as there is no future here,” said one player, who declined to be named.