Zifa boss owes clubs

Ray Bande Senior Sports Reporter
ZIFA boss, Cuthbert Dube has paid $2 000 only out of the anticipated $27 000 to the 2013 winners of the annual Sylvia Dube Memorial tournament, while the 2014 edition of the tournament was stopped in the semi-finals due to non-payment of previous winners and participants’ dues.

Dube, who went out of the country early this week for the 37th CAF Ordinary General Assembly in Cairo, Egypt, which was set for Wednesday, sponsors the tournament. The Sylvia Dube tournament is a knockout competition for Eastern Region Division One soccer teams which is played annually in memory of Sylvia, the late wife of the founding chairman of the ZIFA Eastern Region, Dube.

However, Post Sport has it on good authority that the sponsor is yet to disburse funds for 2013 participants and winners, while the 2014 edition of the tournament was stopped in the semi-finals.

Apart from Renco Mine who received $2 000 only for winning the 2013 edition of the tournament, runners-up Gaza Gunners of Chipinge, who were set to get $20 000 for their efforts, also got a paltry $1 000 only. Zifa Eastern Region chairman, Piraishe Mabhena, confirmed that they decided to stop Sylvia Dube tournament matches until clubs that participated in 2013 are paid. He said they were also facing resistance from clubs given that they have lost confidence in the ability of the tournament’s financier to pay them.

“As the Zifa Eastern Region administration, we still believe that the tournament is still part of us. The sponsors pledged to disburse funding for the tournament in terms of prizes for teams that participated in the 2013. However, we have decided to stop the tournament at the semi-finals stage because the clubs were reluctant to play given that those that took part in the previous edition are yet to be paid their dues. We can only resume the matches after payments for 2013 are done,” said Mabhena.

Dube, who usually comes under criticism for failing to show up during national team matches as expected of him being the man occupying the highest office in the administration of the game in the country, has been a noticeable absentee over the years at the Sylvia Dube Memorial matches let alone the tournament finals.

The past winners of the competition in the Eastern Region include Renco Mine FC 2013, Mutare City Rovers 2012, Hippo FC 2011, AMC FC 2010, Hippo FC 2009, Highway 2008, Eagles 2007, Blue Swallows 2006, Blue Swallows 2005, Windsor2004, PSMAS 2003, 2002 and 2001.