The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
Sports Reporter
FIFA’s decision to suspend Zimbabwe from international football following a deadlock between the Sport and Recreation Commission and ZIFA continues to hog the limelight and has predictably divided opinion among the domestic game’s stakeholders.
The majority led by local football’s parliament, the ZIFA Congress, believe the indefinite ban was a necessary evil that could help a dying game rediscover its mojo and show why it is the country’s flagship sport.
For the ordinary man and woman on the streets, who simply love their game, FIFA’s move left them with more questions than answers as they seek to understand the impact of the world football governing body’s sanctions on Zimbabwe.
FIFA, in announcing their suspension of Zimbabwe on Thursday night, also handed a similar penalty to Kenya, who just like ZIFA, had their association’s leadership suspended in November last year.
“We have had to suspend two of our members, Kenya and Zimbabwe, both for government interference in activities of football associations.
“The associations are suspended with immediate effect. They know what needs to be done for them to be readmitted or for their suspensions to be lifted,’’ FIFA president Gianni Infantino said.
FIFA also demanded the reinstatement of Zifa president Felton Kamambo’s board and the withdrawal of the SRC’s litany of charges it has laid against the association’s leadership, including some that are pending at the Harare magistrates’ courts, before the suspension can be lifted.
On their part the SRC have maintained that Kamambo and his crew remain suspended.
In terms of the Fifa suspension, ZIFA lost all their membership rights while the association’s representatives and club teams will no longer take part in international competitions until the ban is lifted.
As part of the sanctions, neither ZIFA nor any of its members or officials will benefit from any development programmes, courses or training from FIFA and CAF.
On the local front, allegations against the ZIFA Board include abuse of public funds, attempting to cover up sexual harassment of women referees, bribery and match-fixing.
In sticking to their guns, the Sports Commission, who are expected to outline a comprehensive roadmap tomorrow, have maintained that they will not reinstate the Zifa board but will instead move forward with their drive to clean up the problems that have plagued national football.
The development has however, been hailed by a number of prominent football personalities, who feel the FIFA suspension could give Zimbabwe an opportunity to “start afresh.”
Premier Soccer League chief executive officer, Kennedy Ndebele, also clarified yesterday the effects of the FIFA suspension on the local top-flight league.
“In the immediate, we are not affected by the suspension because it only affects international matches.
“The Castle Lager Premier Soccer League programme will go ahead as scheduled,” said Ndebele.
“But, if the clean-up exercise being undertaken by the Sports Commission takes longer than the end of the season, then it might affect clubs that would want to take part in CAF inter-club competitions.
“As of now, fans will watch our local football provided they are following Covid-19 protocols. The FIFA suspension does not in any way affect the PSL.”
Ndebele revealed that Premiership clubs were not benefitting much from the FIFA Forward funds and programmes that are availed to ZIFA on an annual basis.
“Having said that, while this suspension may affect international matches, in terms of the FIFA programmes and funds, the PSL has not benefitted much save for the US$120 000 out of the US$1.8 million ZIFA received from FIFA and CAF for Covid-19 relief.
“The promise made by ZIFA for payment of referees’ fees only went as far as the first half of the Chibuku Super Cup.
“In terms of development programmes like training of administrators or coaches, the PSL has not been benefitting since 2015 or beyond.
“We pray that the SRC complete this clean-up process so that we will have a clear understanding of how the FIFA funds are being utilised and will be utilised in the future.
“The problem is we have not really seen the presence of FIFA in this country apart from the funding, which never reaches the intended destinations,” said Ndebele.
ZIFA’s top-policy making body, the Congress, has also remained resolute that it will press ahead with their rescheduled Emergency General Meeting (EGM) on April 3.
The EGM was instigated by over 30 ZIFA members including the Premiership clubs, who signalled an intention to revoke the mandate of some of the ZIFA board members on allegations of financial mismanagement, abuse of office and usurping the powers of the Congress.
ZIFA Northern Region chairman, Martin Kweza, who has been mandated to speak on behalf of the councillors, said in a statement yesterday that the FIFA suspension would not “stop Congress from weeding out corruption.”
He reiterated that the councillors would proceed to convene the EGM.
“We reiterate that Congress believes in dialogue and will soon engage all relevant stakeholders including SRC, CAF and FIFA to protect Zimbabwe’s football interests,” said Kweza.
“Since the executive committee is incapacitated to call for the EGM due to the suspension, the congress members shall proceed to convene the meeting. We wish to advise all concerned that Congress remains committed to prove the above allegations as we root out corruption in football.
“Just like FIFA, Congress has a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, unethical conduct, sexual harassment and match-fixing.
“The members shall provide documentary evidence on how the Kamambo-led board was siphoning football money for personal benefit using companies of friends, business associates and some congress members.
“We note with concern the international ban effected by FIFA on Zimbabwe at the instigation of some suspended ZIFA board members.
“As Congress, we have always made it clear that we do not want a FIFA ban because of the obvious consequences,’’ Kweza said.
The Councillors also insist ZIFA need to mend their relations with government through the SRC arguing that a scenario where the association continued to rely only on FIFA funding for projects and programmes was not sustainable.
“We seem to cry more over FIFA grants because that has been the mainstay of our funding and that itself is a misnomer because we should not just sit and rely on FIFA funds.
“This ban is a watershed and it has shown that ZIFA should have better engagement with government and secure government funding for projects and development programmes.
“It has shown that if FIFA delay in disbursing money, everything at ZIFA stops yet those funds should be coming in as a top-up,” added Kweza.
CAPS United vice-president Nhamo Tutisani said there was nothing surprising about a FIFA ban that “we have been expecting for the last three months’’.
He feels the key to Zimbabwe emerging stronger lies in the roadmap which the nine-member restructuring committee of technocrats, appointed by the SRC, will come up with.
“We have lost almost three months anticipating a ban that was inevitable,” said Tutisani.
“FIFA find themselves in a tricky spot to avoid setting a precedent whereby they would deal with the Zimbabwe case differently.
“But I think the SRC should just proceed with what they started and ensure the restructuring committee does its work.
“Those that have lost out from this ban are those that have been receiving money and abusing it because in terms of international football, we have not been progressing.
“It is time that all the key stakeholders, the media included, came together without the pressure of the AFCON or World Cup games and critically look at ourselves, look at our statutes and scrutinise the FIFA statutes and see how best we can restructure and avoid a repetition of the governance mess we find ourselves in”.
Lifelong Footballers Trust chairman, Francis Zimunya, also added his voice.
“All we simply need to do is follow the templates of the other nations that were banned before us. These nations used the period that they were banned as a sabbatical as they took time off to rebuild their football structures without pressure.
“When they re-joined FIFA, they performed wonders on the international stage. That is what we are advocating for now,” said Zimunya.
Former ZIFA chairman, Vincent Pamire, widely regarded as one of local football’s elders, wants the SRC to consult football stakeholders on the way forward.
“If your house is on fire obviously you do not wait for neighbours to start dousing the flames, the first effort comes from you and that’s exactly what the SRC did.
“If there is abuse of state funds by an association then government is mandated to step in and deal with the rot.
“If ZIFA were given money by the government then they should just account for it, they should tell the world what they did with the money but at the moment they haven’t done that.
“Zimbabwe football couldn’t continue on the path it was taking under the suspended ZIFA executive. There has been no women football in the country for over two years yet FIFA provides funds for the game.
“There are no football structures to talk about. We are going nowhere so the suspension should give us an opportunity to start afresh, unless FIFA are saying we must destroy our football to make them happy,” said Pamire.
Former Motor Action chief of protocol, Simeone Jamanda, wants the SRC to institute a forensic audit into the ZIFA accounts.
“Now that the ban has effected and these guys have been suspended, we need to have all these allegations investigated so that we open a new chapter.
“But it’s clear this ban only affects those who were waiting for the FIFA transactions over this period.
“And I don’t think Kamambo can stand in his own island whilst the whole country is crying. Let the ban be and let’s take advantage of the ban and sort out all the mess that is alleged on ZIFA,” he said.
Rafik Khan, who led both the PSL and ZIFA as chairman, also supported the suspension of the association’s board by the SRC.
Khan reckons that problems in the national game are actually rooted in the “questionable calibre of councillors’’.
“We would rather start again. We need to start by choosing the right councillors,” said Khan.
Respected junior football coach and scout, Lloyd “MaBlanyo” Chigowe, was blunt in his assessment of the prevailing situation.
“What is there to lose…nothing.
“The FIFA development funds were not filtering down at all. Where can we see any development?
“There have been no CAF courses in seven years. Our international team selection has been entirely hijacked by football agents and corruption,” lamented Chigowe.
“The abuse even extended to sexual abuse of women (if it is true.)
“Zimbabwe was stuck between a rock and a hard place. It’s like choosing whether to be beaten up by your brother or your mother. Just because FIFA banned us doesn’t mean that ZIFA is good.
“Under this visionless leadership the future is already bleak, we have no Under-23s to promote and replace the current Warriors generation.
“Our Under-20s are hopeless, our Under-17s were disqualified and withdrawn from the Zone VI Games due to deliberately not following Covid-19 protocols.
“No junior development at all for the girl child”.
Ex-Warriors coach, Wieslaw Grabowski, who has turned into a development coach and intermediary, is calling for dialogue.
“FIFA has its own rules and regulations which member associations have to religiously follow, that is if you want to remain a member of FIFA.
“My advice is that the SRC should reinstate the ZIFA Board, then seek dialogue with FIFA on the way forward.
“If the SRC has evidence of what they are accusing ZIFA of, then they should just present that to FIFA.
“I am not condoning corruption or the destruction of football structures in the country but all I am praying for is that football ends up being the winner,” Grabowski said.
