adminSports Stadium insisting that they would not be intimidated by the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe’s demands for a review of the fees.
The Warriors will host the Lone Star in their penultimate 2012 African Cup of Nations Group A assignment at the giant facility on September 4.
Norman Mapeza’s men, who are on a revival path, need nothing short of a win to stay in the hunt for a possible place at the Nations Cup finals to be co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Given the significance of the encounter – the senior team’s last home assignment – and the buzz surrounding the Warriors’ brand since their famous 2-1 victory over Mali at Rufaro on June5, Zifa are expecting a bumper crowd when Liberia come to town.
It is against this background that the Zifa board, at their meeting last Friday, endorsed a decision to stage the high-profile match at the more secure and spacious National Sports Stadium.
In deciding to take the game to the National Stadium Zifa also increased the entry charges for the rest of the ground from US$3 charged for domestic league matches to US$5 for a ticket into the rest of the ground.
Corporates and those willing to sit in the VVIP tribune would have to part with US$100 for a ticket while the bays flanking the VVIP will cost US$50 per ticket and other Western bays will charge US$20.
Zifa came in for some criticism for their move with the CCZ, in particular issuing a statement on Monday, in which the consumer watchdog claimed the charges were astronomical.
But Zifa president Cuthbert Dube yesterday hit out at the CCZ and insisted the charges would not be reviewed “because they are justified and totally in line with the magnitude of the game”.
Dube, flanked by the association board member finance Elliot Kazoo and Premier Soccer League chairman Twine Phiri, blasted the CCZ for being grossly ill-advised into believing that they can determine entry charges for entertainment and sport.
“We made a decision as a board after taking into consideration several factors related to a match of this nature and we do not think asking fans to pay US$5 for the rest of the ground is out of this world.
“We are not an affiliate of CCZ and we will not be intimidated by any of their threats because we believe that the genuine football fan understands that a game of this nature, which is our last home match of the year in this campaign, has generated a lot of interest. Wee are expecting an even bigger crowd than the one that came to watch the match against Mali or the international friendly against
Zambia which were both at Rufaro.
“The CCZ ought to really focus on the issues of the prices of basic commodities and services that have been increasing than to focus on football for which they do not have a mandate to govern,” said Dube.
Dube also questioned why the CCZ had suddenly become vocal on football matters when there are various sporting disciplines that host international matches such as rugby, cricket and hockey and whose charges are not questioned.
Phiri, who is also the president of Premiership giants CAPS United, said there was “nothing unusual in the decision to hike the entry charges” and also move the match from Rufaro to the National Sports Stadium.
“For security reasons we have as the PSL this year resolved to move the big Harare derby clashes between CAPS United and Dynamos to the National Sports Stadium and both games were played there and nobody complained.
“Our clubs also raise entry charges depending on the magnitude of the game and this is not the first time that the fees have been pegged at US$5 for the rest of the ground or US$20 or US$30 and we still had big crowds at both derby matches,” Phiri said.
Kasu charged that the CCZ’s claims reflected sentiments of an “ill-informed organisation”.
“CCZ are day dreaming. For us to come up with a price of a product, which in this case is the Warriors brand, we have to look at the costs involved and ensure we recoup the costs and also make profit from our product. I think CCZ are talking from an ill-informed and irresponsible point of view. We are sick and tired of losses in our home games and that era has to end.
“We should break even and it must be remembered that Zifa do not have any sponsors catering for the upkeep of our players, the visiting team and the match officials.
“And in any case why do the CCZ have this notion that football is a poor man’s game only and who are they anyway to come to dictate to us and the disguise of national unity or patriotism? We also have the Cape Verde assignment coming up in October,” Kasu said.
The Zifa leadership also accused the CCZ of trying to fan discontent among the football family in the country, “just when our Warriors are getting ready to go into camp on Monday”.
Online Reporter