ZIFA has lost out on a grant to fund match-fixing investigations, after failing to meet a deadline set by the world soccer controlling body, Fifa.
Report by By Brian Nkiwane
More than 90 players, officials and administrators were suspended for allegedly aiding match-fixing in Asian countries in what is commonly referred to as the Asiagate scandal.
Fifa gave the Justice Ahmed Ebrahim- led Ethics Committee, tasked to investigate the scandal, an ultimatum to present the final report before September 30 in order for the committee to bear the costs of the investigations.
Zifa president, Cuthbert Dube confirmed to Standardsport that failure to meet the deadline meant that the beleaguered association had to shoulder the blame and would now have to pay the costs.
“Fifa had not told us how much the grant was but had agreed to pay any charge upon submission of the total cost of the investigations.
Now that the Ethics Committee failed to meet the September 30 deadline, Zifa has to pay,” Dube said.
Zifa, through its president Dube had been meeting the committee’s expenses since it started investigations.
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“I have been paying the Ethics Committee US$10 000 per week since December last year hoping that Fifa would chip in when investigations are over.
“But what it now means is that I have lost large sums of money and as Zifa, we still have to pay more as what I paid them is not enough,” Dube said.
The Ethics Committee is set to release the full report of their investigation on Thursday, bringing to an end the sad chapter on local football.
The findings of the report would pave the way for Zifa to institute disciplinary measures against those that would be found guilty.
Zifa cleared seven players from the interim report submitted by the Ethics Committee to allow Warriors technical team to beef up its squad ahead of the make or break tie against Angola this weekend.
Zifa are also in danger of missing out on Fifa’s Financial Assistance Funds for the next three years if they lose their lawsuit against international match agents Kentaro, who are demanding US$600 000 for the Brazil-Warriors match.
The funds come in batches of US$250 000 every year for each national association but for three years this could be wiped out by the Kentaro debts in addition to legal fees incurred.
Kentaro is suing Zifa for US$600 000 being funds they were entitled to get from the June 2 2010 Brazil-Warriors match played at the National Sports Stadium.
Meanwhile, the chairman of Mzansi90, a committee which was set up to mobilise resources for the Warriors’ crunch tie against Angola this weekend, George Manyaya, has revealed that they have tickets that are on sale on a first-come-first-serve basis.
“We have managed to raise close to US$300 000 in cash so we are assured of a chartered plane. That means there will be 50 tickets that are going for sale at US$600 for those fans who would want to be part of the travelling contingent,” Manyaya said.
“The tickets will be on sale at Zifa House from tomorrow.” The chartered plane would leave on Friday evening.
