admin
In a telephone interview from his Inyathi home, Zifa vice-president Ndumiso Gumede said Fifa sets the dates for the transfer-window and national associations cannot tamper with them.
Global football, he said, was now better organised and conformed to a set of expectations which promote good governance of the sport.
“We will not have clubs signing new players. The window long closed and we as Zifa will not interfere with that,” said Gumede.
He said the national association had already advised clubs and sponsors accordingly.
“This is a process which started two years ago, some day the findings were going to come out. Now that they are out we believe clubs came up with their own steps to ensure they would not be affected as it has been going on for a while.
“We even advised sponsors about this, so there is nothing new,” said the former Zifa chief executive officer.
Gumede shot down criticism from certain quarters that the announcement of verdicts for the Asiagate scandal had to do with the championship race.
He described it as unfair for fans to associate the report with two people as they were not involved in the organising of the trips or selection of players who travelled.
“This is a board decision. I am the spokesperson for the board. It is not fair for me to be blamed or somebody else we are simply implementing what was resolved after the ethics committee brought its findings,” said Gumede.
Gumede and Benedict Moyo have been criticised for the publication of the list of names. Some believe that Dynamos who have several players involved and the highest number of former stars who travelled to Asia, would be affected in the championship race.
“Honestly this thing has been going on for too long, not that anybody cared who would be in the championship race, we had to conclude the investigations and the good thing is that it was an independent committee after all,” said Gumede.
He said as Zifa the situation had presented them with a Catch22 situation.
The reason why they will be releasing names in batches is that they would like to sift through recommendations of the Justice Ebrahim Committee.
“It is not that we fear that some teams would be affected if we make the announcements once, we have to carefully sift through the submissions and the position taken by the ethics committee. We have to also look at the mitigatory circumstance in each case before we announce.
“Where people refused to come and be interviewed we have not hesitated to give the worst treatment,” said the veteran administrator.
Dynamos might have to do without Tawanda Mupasiri, Tawanda Muparati, Martin Vengesayi, Cliff Sekete, George Magariro, Milton Makopa with Guthrie Zhokinyi having already been condemned to life out of the game.
David Kutyauripo was exonerated.
Zvishavane giants FC Platinum could lose Zephaniah Ngodzo, Khumbulani Banda, Qadr Amin, Hardlife Mavundi, Daniel Vheremu, Ali Sadiki, Thabani Kamusoko, Tafadzwa Dube and Tsungai Mudzamiri.
Their neighbours Shabanie Mine might lose their coach Luke Masomere who travelled on some of the illicit trips and confirmed that the matches were fixed.
Highlanders might have to do without Beavan Chikaka and Milton Ncube while Chicken Inn have Thabani Goredema, Evans Chikwaikwai and Danny Phiri on the list.
Hardlife Zvirekwi, Nqobile Mpala, Charles Chiutsa, Taurai Mangwiro, Asani Nhongo, Marvel Samaneka, Nyasha Mukumbi and Leornard Tsipa are the Caps United players on the list.
Gumede said with teams allowed to register up to 30 players, they should be able to field strong teams to aid their championship chase and relegation fights.
Players from the Southern Region were often overlooked for the trips to Asia with FC Platinum heavily affected because they went into the market extensively last year.
The local Asian masterminds are alleged to have worked with certain coaches and a player agent to ensure the players who travelled on those trips got caps to allow them to move on.
Online Reporter