Zifa must wait for Fifa decision

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
EARLY this month, the suspended Zifa executive committee publicly said it was no longer going to be involved in confrontations with the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) and would take a back seat until Fifa makes a determination on its suspension.

It clearly stated that it would be off the football radar until “guidance from Fifa, full prosecution of the Administrative Court appeal or as and when the SRC decides to obey the laws of the land, whichever will come first”.

“While the Zifa board is totally convinced that its appeal did suspend the SRC decision, it cannot, however, be involved in a physical confrontation with the regulator (SRC). As such, the Zifa board advises the nation that in order to avoid unnecessary drama, it shall for now take a back seat until guidance from Fifa has been received, full prosecution of the Admin Court appeal or as and when the SRC decides to obey the laws of the land, whichever will come first,” read the Zifa statement.

Barely a few days later, an ultimatum from Fifa giving the SRC up to January 3 to lift the suspension, was leaked to the media.

While Fifa had previously been communicating with the SRC on matters to do with the football impasse, leaking of the letter raised fears on its authenticity.

It was signed by Jean-Marie, a Fifa member association officer. Giving the letter the benefit of doubt, January 3 is next Monday, so it came as a surprise when the same suspended Zifa executive committee suddenly raged in a scathing statement.

It called on the Government to institute an open inquiry into the conduct, motive and decisions of the sports regulatory board, labelling it as a blood thirsty organisation that must be stopped. Zifa also said it would be releasing a dossier, before year end, exposing the SRC’s behind the scenes shenanigans.

Clearly, the suspended executive committee was never sincere in its promise to take a back seat and avoid confrontation with the SRC.

When they released that statement, they perhaps thought authorities will be hard on SRC and order them to reconsider their stance, but when nothing of that sought happened, resolutions changed.

The Zifa board now has the audacity of calling SRC a blood thirsty organisation, a clear and present danger to the development of sports in general and football in particular.

The suspended officials claim the Fifa letter exonerated them from the charges by SRC, which, of course, is misleading.

Fifa simply asked SRC to prove and provide evidence of the charges. The executive committee alleges that the SRC will never provide such evidence because nothing happened.

Why doesn’t the executive committee favour the nation by proving that all the allegations are unfounded?

Prove that you did not violate Covid-19 health guidelines when national teams were involved in international matches; provide documentary evidence that you didn’t ignore sexual harassment of female referees by releasing paper trail of those investigations. Once that happens, then can they start claiming innocence.

The sudden summersault by the Zifa executive committee to change from their unsolicited and voluntary resolution to take a back seat raises lots of questions on their reputation and reliability.

January 3 is just around the corner, if you are confident that Fifa will indeed act in your favour, why not wait for the remaining few days?

Suspension was on November 16, more than a month now and if all along Zifa executive committee had the behind-the-scenes shenanigans, why didn’t they release them all this time?

Everyone wants the best for Zimbabwean football, unless, of course, one is an enemy of the State.

SRC never fired the Zifa executive committee, it merely suspended all the officials. Suspensions get lifted if allegations that necessitated that suspension prove to be untrue.

SRC informed Fifa of the executive committee’s suspension and in turn, Fifa have asked for evidence and it’s not the duty of Zifa to demand that evidence from the SRC, that dossier will and shall be given to Fifa.

If as Zifa claims, nothing materialises, Fifa shall also be duly informed and Felton Kamambo and team will be back in office.