Zifa, fans head for showdown

and the general state of the game in the country.
The supporters’ body led by Eddie “Mboma’’ Nyatanga are expected to appear before the Parliamentary Portfolio committee when it resumes sitting early next month.
But the decision by the parliamentarians to seek the opinion of the supporters’ body has not gone down well with Zifa with the association’s vice-president Ndumiso Gumede indicating that he had written to the portfolio committee to argue their case.
Gumede said although he had not seen an official communication between about the portfolio committee’s invitation to the ZNSSA he had in his letter to the parliamentarians queried why a body like the Zifa Assembly had not had its membership being invite to “shed light’’ on the matter.
The Zifa vice-president reckoned that those who were on the Zifa assembly in 2009, when the council debated the Warriors trips to Asia and resolved to stop them, would be better placed to update the Parliamentary Portfolio committee.
“If it is true that they have been called it would be an unfortunate development for football. At the moment we are treating it as rumour.
“The ZNSSA are neither registered with the football association nor are we aware of their composition and legitimacy.
“It is our humble view that if there is need for further investigation in this matter, members of the Zifa Assembly who sat on 19 December 2009 and resolved to stop all the escapades to the East would give useful information to the committee.
“There are allegations that some people fingered in the Asiagate scam are constant visitors to the erstwhile headquarters of the so-called supporters association which raises a few questions,’’ Gumede said.
Gumede has already appeared before the parliamentarians together with Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze and the association’s board member finance Eliot Kasu.
The long-serving administrator also returned before the same committee in the company of referees’ representatives Tendai Bwanya and Ngoni Boyd as well as Mashingaidze.
Now the parliamentarians believe they can glean more information from Nyatanga and his colleagues but Zifa believe the portfolio committee may have erred in putting their trust in the supporters body and ignoring the Zifa councillors given their role as domestic football’s top policy making body.
Meanwhile, retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ebrahim is on Sunday expected to end months of speculation on the progress made by his Independent Ethics committee when makes his first public statement on the Asiagate scandal.
Ebrahim has been penciled in to hold a media conference in the capital at lunchtime on Sunday during which he should shed light on how and when they intend to conclude the long-dragging matter that has left more than 100 players, coaches and administrators awaiting their fate.
The Ebrahim committee is at the end of its probe and hearings expected to clear the names of those fingered in the scam and also name and recommend punishments for those found guilty of match-fixing.
Fifa have already indicated that they will ratify whatever action Zifa would have taken based on Ebrahim’s recommendations.