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Eddie Chikamhi-Senior Sports Reporter
ZIFA yesterday said they acknowledged the communication from CAF and will continue with engagements with key stakeholders after the continental football mother body flagged down developments that have taken place in Zimbabwean football in the last few months.
The local football authorities have been in the trenches in the last few months trying to reform the game following the serious challenges faced in administration and the subsequent suspension of the country’s membership from FIFA.
Corruption and mismanagement had destroyed the game, leading to interventions to reboot the administration of the domestic game. Zimbabwe, just like East Africans Kenya who faced almost similar challenges, have opted the painful route to forego some of the international tournaments this year to pave the way for cleansing before considering a return to international football.
However, CAF General Secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba advised the domestic football leadership to refer to the conditions set by FIFA as conditions for reinstatement.
Mosengo-Omba said in a letter addressed to the ZIFA general secretary Joseph Mamutse, at the weekend, that CAF will continue to monitor the situation in Zimbabwe.
The widely-circulated letter triggered various responses from football loving Zimbabweans. ZIFA spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela acknowledged receipt of the CAF letter.
“We acknowledge receipt of the CAF letter which a lot of people may interpret in a number of ways. But as ZIFA, we took it as positive development because our letters had gone for some time without getting response.
“So this development opens a window of engagement with CAF which we hope will result in a win-win situation.
“In view of this development, we hope this will intensify our engagements with key stakeholders as we continue to reform the football structures at large,” said Gwesela.
In a wide-ranging correspondence to ZIFA, CAF General Secretary Mosengo-Omba pointed out that the conditions set by FIFA have not been fully met and as a result the association should stop exercising membership rights, including accessing of funds received from FIFA.
“We would like to inform you as follows:
“1. The SRC’s letters dated 24 May and 8 June 2022 contravene Article 7 paragraph 1(a) and (g) of the CAF Statutes which respectively states as follows: “ARTICLE 7: Members of CAF shall have the following obligations:
“a) To respect, and ensure that their own members respect, at all times unreservedly the principles of ethics and fair play enacted by CAF and FIFA, the principles of integrity and sportsmanship as well as the Statutes, regulations, decisions and directives of CAF and FIFA . . .
“g) To manage their affairs independently and free of intrusions and interferences of any kind by any person or body.”
“2. None of the conditions stated in the FIFA Council decision dated 24 February 2022 as ratified by the FIFA Congress on 31 March 2022 has been fully and unconditionally met.
“3. Pursuant to Article 16 paragraph 3 of the FIFA Statutes, ‘A suspended member association may not exercise any of its membership rights’, such rights being defined in Article 13 of the FIFA Statutes.
“Consequently, CAF hereby directs ZIFA to immediately cease using and accessing any funds deposited by FIFA or CAF in the ZIFA accounts.
“Please note that a breach of this directive will be regarded as a violation of the FIFA Council decision dated 24 February 2022 as ratified by the FIFA Congress on 31 March 2022 and may subject ZIFA or the officials involved to disciplinary sanctions.
“CAF will continue to monitor the developments in Zimbabwean football,” wrote Mosengo-Omba.
Online Reporter