adminMpala was among four players kicked out of camp two weeks ago ahead of the first leg tie against Mozambique which ended 2-2 at Gwanzura Stadium in Harare allegedly because they were over aged.
In an interview yesterday Mashingaidze said the Zifa secretariat had not yet been advised of the latest developments in the camp.
Shocked that his son had been labelled an age-cheat, Waison Mpala then sent $200 to Harare which was said to be the fee for a re-test.
However, his son was not taken for further examination and was refunded the $200.
This then prompted his father to seek another test in Bulawayo whose results confirmed he was under 17 as he was born on 26 March 1996.
The boy’s age was also confirmed by records at Mpilo Central Hospital where he was born and records at both Mzilikazi Primary School and Sobukhazi High School. The records with Zifa local structures also confirm the boy’s age.
On 2 May 2008, Chronicle ran a story and a picture of Brandon turning out for Mzilikazi Select in an Under-13 soccer tournament organised by Grassroots at Mzilikazi Primary School where he was a Grade Seven pupil.
In an interview yesterday morning from Harare, Mashingaidze said Zifa had no room for age-cheats.
He said the matter would be investigated until its logical conclusion amid calls from Waison that the whole team of 25 that was in camp should be tested.
Mashingaidze said a recent workshop on match-fixing and corruption, run by Interpol and Cosafa dealt with the issue of age-cheating.
“We have come from a workshop on age-cheating and if we do not act on such issues we would render those seminars talk-shows. It’s important that when such issues come up, we conduct thorough investigations to protect the integrity of the game and our development programmes.
“I know how the lad is feeling if indeed he is below the age-group as tests so far and information gathered in Bulawayo have proved. Under the circumstances we are obliged to go for another round of tests and also establish what could have happened,” he said.
Mashingaidze said Zifa wants to rid junior football of cheats and if indeed there was some untoward behaviour by the technical staff, disciplinary action would be taken. “Heads will roll if we discover that the results were tampered with,” said Mashingaidze.
He said Zifa was taking a strong stance against corruption in the game.
Sources in the camp have revealed that some boys came into camp with scan results from private doctors. Some of the players are said to have boasted that they were born in 1992 and 1993 which makes them ineligible for the Under-17 team.
Board member responsible for national teams, Benedict Moyo said the players were tested one after the other and immediately given their results.
Players have said the announcement of the ineligible players was made on the bus by the coaches giving rise to fears that the results could have been tampered with.
Zimbabwe junior soccer has over the last 30 years suffered from the scourge of age-cheating with generations of players some of whom made it on the international forum having doctored their ages.
Online Reporter