Zifa, Chiyangwa tiff rages on

By Mukudzei Chingwere

Zifa’s fallout with former president Philip Chiyangwa appears far from being over as the association’s executive has said they will continue with their efforts to recall him from Cosafa.

This was revealed in their board meeting on Friday night.

In a statement yesterday, the Association also revealed that the full board endorsed a decision made earlier by their emergency committee to suspend executive member Chamu Chiwanza.

Chiwanza has since taken the case to the High Court.

Read the statement in part: “The executive committee adopted a resolution by the emergency committee of moving the motion to revoke the presidency of Dr Phillip Chiyangwa in Cosafa and noted that contrary to widely circulated reports that sought to portray a scenario where Zifa’s case was thrown out, Zifa is in receipt of correspondence from Cosafa, which shows that the matter is still alive.”

Zifa also said interim Warriors coach, Rahman Gumbo, will continue to lead the national soccer team, at least for now.

The Warriors coaching job fell vacant after Sunday Chidzambwa ditched the ship on the eve of the team’s departure for the first leg of the CHAN qualifiers in Mauritius.

“Rahman Gumbo will be the interim head coach for the men’s team as they go for the African Nations Championship qualifiers against Mauritius.”

But Gumbo’s fate as Warriors coach might be decided as early as Saturday when the Zifa technical department committee meets to review the situation in the national team.

“The technical development committee will meet on the 3rd of August 2019 to review the structures of all national teams’ technical staff.

“The recommendations of the technical development committee will be discussed in the next board meeting for decisions to be made.

“The Association will come up with a national teams’ policy that will guide operations of all our national teams.”

Despite the boardroom squabbles, the Zifa leadership insists that they are committed to the development of the game.

“The executive committee remains united and reiterates its commitment to develop the game. A lot of exciting programs are already underway.

“The Association is spearheading youth leagues and will assist all football affiliates to better organize and develop the game.”

However, Zifa will have to do so much more to douse the flames they are currently enduring, including a suspension of the Warriors from the 2020 Cosafa senior men’s tournament.

Meanwhile, the Warriors and the Young Warriors have tough continental assignments coming up in the next two months while the Mighty Warriors and the Young Mighty Warriors will embark on the Cosafa Women’s Championships in South Africa next week. The Sunday Mail