Uhuru Cup replay: DeMbare set tough terms

Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
DYNAMOS have advised ZIFA they can only fulfil the 2015 Independence Cup replay on May 13 if they play 26 minutes, with their 1-0 lead from the aborted game, intact.Alternatively, the Glamour Boys have told ZIFA to give the trophy to holders FC Platinum.

ZIFA ordered a fresh game after the Independence Cup final was abandoned 65 minutes into the game at the National Sports Stadium, because of a power blackout.

The country’s football controlling body also ruled that fans who wish to watch the replay will now have pay $2 for the cheapest ticket.

But the Glamour Boys have questioned ZIFA’s decision and last week they wrote to the mother body expressing their displeasure.

Yesterday, club secretary, Webster Chikengezha, said they had been communicating with ZIFA who now know their position.

“On April 22, we wrote to ZIFA informing them that we are withdrawing and we cannot fulfil the May 13 fixture and they responded yesterday (Tuesday) we wrote again giving them our conditions if we are to play the match and they said they are looking into the matter,” said Chikengezha.

“We told them that we can only play the remaining 26 minutes that were left when the match was stopped and start with our team leading 1-0.

“This game was meant to celebrate Independence Day and now it is no longer about Independence but about fund-raising and we have a problem with that.

“Even if they give the match to FC Platinum we are okay with it. They are the Cup holders after all.”

Chikengezha said they have been incurring costs, since the semi-finals, and they will also lose a lot of players next month on national duty.

“We would be losing five players next month due to national team commitments in the COSAFA Cup squad and the Under-23 African championships and the Premier Soccer League is not going to stop the league games when they are away.

“And we would be in trouble if we play too many matches and gets exposed to injuries at a time we don’t have depth as we would have released many players for national duty.

“We are supporting national teams and we are not blocking any of the five players that have been selected by the national coaches and I believe we are one of the clubs that is releasing players for national duty despite contributing a large number of these players too,” he said.

The Dynamos trio of goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva, Blessing Moyo and Carlos Rusere have been named in the Under-23 squad which was selected by coach Callisto Pasuwa for the match against Swaziland in Harare on the weekend of May 22-24.

Ronald Chitiyo and Godknows Murwira have been drafted into the COSAFA Cup squad for the regional tournament set for South Africa from May 17 to 30.