DeMbare frustrated by PSL delays on Mutuma

By Eddie Chikamhi

HARARE – Champions Dynamos are frustrated by the delays by the Premier Soccer League to register striker Rodreck Mutuma whom they wanted to use in tomorrow’s Castle Lager Premiership tie against Shabanie Mine at Maglas.

The Harare giants are playing catch up and trail leaders Highlanders by three points with Bosso set for a top-of-the-table showdown tomorrow against surprise packages ZPC Kariba at Gwanzura.

It’s Bosso’s first visit to the capital for a league tie this season and they come bubbling with confidence after destroying CAPS United 4-0 in their last encounter at Barbourfields.

DeMbare were yesterday hoping to get the registration papers in order following the intervention of Zifa and Fifa but by late evening they were still to get good news from the league.

Dynamos secretary-general Webster Chikengezha said the club was not satisfied with the way the issue was being handled after Zifa yesterday gave the top-flight league the greenlight to register the player.

“The information from Fifa and Zifa indicates that he qualifies to be registered and play for Dynamos but then we cannot understand it when we get no response from the PSL up to now,” said Chikengezha.

“We have been trying to get in touch with them but it was all futile.

“Mutuma has been with us since last month while we processed the papers and we actually want to play him at Maglas on Sunday but with this situation we now don’t know what to do since the team is leaving at 11:00am in the morning (today).

“We are just an affiliate and our logic was that since PSL is getting the instruction from higher organisations there should be no problem in them registering the player.”

PSL chief executive Kenny Ndebele yesterday acknowledged receipt of the letter from Zifa but said the decision has to be endorsed by the executive committee led by Twine Phiri.

“We have received the letter from Zifa and we referred the matter to the executive committee. So there is going to be an emergency committee and we will be waiting for guidance,” said Ndebele.

Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze yesterday wrote to the PSL:

“With regards to the registration of player Rodreck Mutuma with Dynamos Football Club, according to Fifa Regulations on player Transfers article 8.2.1 of annex 3 says, ‘a professional player is not eligible to play in official matches for his new club until the new association has confirmed receipt of the International Transfer Certificate.’

“The Zimbabwe Football association hereby confirms that according to Fifa TMS, the Association has received the player’s Reverse International Transfer Certificate and he was registered in the system on the 1st of May 2014, thereby making him eligible to play association football in Zimbabwe,” read the letter from Mashingaidze.

DeMbare officials believe the league leadership are hitting back at them for the way they manipulated the wording on the ban imposed on Partson Jaure which enabled the defender to return to action earlier than scheduled.

That the PSL is also led by Phiri, who will always be viewed with suspicion by DeMbare because of his role as CAPS United president, has added to the conspiracy theories that are flying around.

Captain Murape Murape has challenged his side to put behind the negativity that had stalked the club in the past week.

Dynamos have not won at Maglas since 2010 when Shabanie Mine bounced back into the top-flight league, with all matches ending in stalemates.

“Maglas has been a difficult place to go over the years for many Premiership teams. This is going to be a new game and we are going there at a time when we need something positive to lift our campaign,’ said Murape.

‘We have been working on our shortcomings after losing two games in succession.

“Things haven’t been going as we have hoped in the opening six games but we don’t have to lose heart.

“Instead we have to rise up again realising that every team in the world, including the best teams overseas, sometimes go through a slump and it’s something that is not permanent.

“As record champions we have to show our class by the way we respond to such setbacks.”

But injuries have pinned down the Harare giants as they have missed key players like Tawanda Muparati, Masimba Mambare, Simba Sithole and Clive Kawinga.

The medical team were also still monitoring the likes of Cliff Sekete and Sydney Linyama who have been nursing injuries in the last two weeks.

Their new striker Anesu Gondo also looks set to miss the trip.

Fixtures:

Today: CAPS United v Black Rhinos (National Sports Stadium, 3pm SuperSport); Chicken Inn v How Mine (Luveve); Chiredzi v Chapungu (Chishamiso)

Sunday: ZPC Kariba v Highlanders (Gwanzura, 3pm SuperSport); Shabanie Mine v Dynamos (Maglas); Buffaloes v FC Platinum (Sakubva); Hwange v Bantu Rovers (Colliery). The Herald