adminNgqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
THE Zifa Extra-Ordinary General meeting called for Saturday in Harare to resolve the Premier Soccer League relegation/promotion impasse could end without a solution as the warring parties are reportedly sticking to their positions.
Four Zifa regions are set to rescind their support of the earlier decision to have four teams relegated with the same number being promoted and instead back the decision made by the Zifa executive committee to promote four teams but demote two and elevate four teams.
The PSL, however, is intent on seeing through the mediation process they initiated when they approached the Court of Arbitration for Sport and feel that is the only way for the issue to be resolved.
Zifa wrote to members of the Assembly informing them of Saturday’s indaba a fortnight ago.
Sources within football corridors said the regions would agree to the Zifa executive committee position as a climb down and also demand that PSL move from their position of allowing only two teams into the top flight as a compromise.
The Zifa leadership appointed an ad-hoc committee headed by the executive committee member responsible for competitions, Piraishe Mabhena to handle the contested matter but it failed to reach a conclusive agreement.
Other members of the ad-hoc committee included Zifa regional chairpersons and PSL Emergency Committee members Kenny Mubaiwa, Lewis Uriri, Lifa Ncube and Lovemore Matikinyidze.
If the PSL is increased to 18 teams then the Zifa constitution would have to be amended to accommodate the two new members increasing the number of congress delegates to 64 from 62.
Relations between Zifa and their flagship affiliate broke down on 29 October following the move by the association’s congress to reverse a decision to demote two teams from the premiership and promote as many sides from the regional Division One Leagues via the promotional play-offs.
Zifa have been adamant that four teams must be demoted at the end of the PSL season and want the regional Division One champions to gain automatic promotion while the top-flight have resisted the stance, insisting that the 29 October Zifa Assembly resolution was constitutionally flawed.
The Zifa Assembly last year resolved to change the PSL relegation matrix to have two teams promoted to the Premiership. It was agreed that winners of the four Zifa regions would partake in play-offs and the two top teams will proceed to the top flight.
Online Reporter