The Sunday Mail
Sports Reporter
Zifa officials insist their hands are clean and believe the process they initiated last week is key in cleansing domestic football of any malpractices.
ln addition, the Association has said it is cleansing itself of a match-fixing cartel, although investigations are still ongoing and no names have been mentioned yet.
The Association suspended board member Chamu Chiwanza over illegalities related to his election on December 16 last year.
They also threatened to lead the move in recalling former Zifa president Philip Chiyangwa from Cosafa.
Following his suspension, Chiwanza reacted by claiming that he has evidence of theft and abuse of funds at the football body.
But in a statement last night, Zifa maintained that they would welcome any probe, even one initiated by the police, should Chiwanza’s allegations have any substance.
Zifa believes that Chiwanza is trying to intimidate the Ethics committee that is looking into his case.
Read the statement in part: “Zifa welcomes Mr Chiwanza on his willingness to expose the alleged ‘thefts’ at the Association. Zifa, while encouraging the suspended board member to act with haste to expose such, also hopes that he will immediately report such to law enforcement agents so that action is swiftly taken on the alleged ‘thieves’.
“Zifa however expresses its disappointment on why it took the suspended board member this long before spilling the so-called ‘beans’, unless this is just desperation and diversionary tactics from the allegations he is facing.
“We challenge Mr Chiwanza to prove his innocence in the Zifa disciplinary committee, which shall soon be convened,” the statement said.
“Zifa wishes to inform all and sundry that the match-fixing cartel has been identified. The Association is cleansing itself from such dubious characters through lawful and constitutional means. lt shall not be cowed by empty threats meant to cause panic.”
The football body has been grappling with boardroom battles in the aftermath of a disastrous Africa Cup campaign by the Warriors in Egypt.
On Friday, they submitted a report responding to the Sport and Recreation Commission’s queries on the Warriors debacle.
Despite social media claims that they had disbanded the senior team, the soccer mother body is still to pronounce anything of that sort.
However, the Association is adamant that a third force is behind the Warriors’ dissent in Egypt.
The players threatened industrial action before their Group A assignments and literally embarrassed Felton Kamambo’s leadership.
