Herentals appeal to Zifa against demotion
By Tadious Manyepo
Herentals have filed a notice of appeal with ZIFA challenging the decision by the Premier Soccer League Disciplinary Committee to demote them into Division One this season.
The Students were found by the PSL disciplinary committee to have been found guilty of manipulating their match against Black Rhinos which they won 3-0 last season.
The team had three points deducted from their tally and were ordered to pay $300 000, by the end of this month.
An official, who is said to be the team manager, Oliver Chirenga, was also banned for 10 years from all football activities on top of a $20 000 fine.
Black Rhinos team manager Gift Kamuriwo was handed a three-year ban of which a year would be chopped off, on condition he pays $10 000 fine, for his role in the alleged match-fixing act.
However, Herentals yesterday filed a notice of appeal with ZIFA and are expected to hand over their heads of argument by next week.
Club secretary-general, Fainos Madhumbu, confirmed his team’s legal representatives had filed the papers.
This means this case is likely to drag for some time and could even affect the start of the domestic Premiership.
In the event the Students lose at the ZIFA Appeals Committee, they could take their case to an ad-hoc committee or even the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“I can confirm that the team, Herentals FC, have filed the notice of opposition with ZIFA,’’ said Madhumbu.
“Our legal team is currently working on the heads of argument which will be filed next week.
“We feel that there are so many hazy things in the whole process. We respect the PSL Disciplinary Committee but we feel there is a conspiracy against Herentals FC.”
The Students finished the 2019 marathon on 41 points, a single point above Chapungu, who occupied the last relegation slot. The PSL stated they will not be commenting on the judgment.
Either way, Chapungu have not been informed they are now back in the top-flight and neither have Herentals been told they have now been relegated. The Herald
