Harare – Business tycoon-turned football administrator, Philip Chiyangwa used to ‘clandestinely sponsor’ the Harare giants for the boys to ...
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Harare – Business tycoon-turned football administrator, Philip Chiyangwa used to ‘clandestinely sponsor’ the Harare giants for the boys to win matches.
At one stage in 2000, Chiyangwa presented former captain Memory Mucherahohwa with Z$20 000 to share with his teammates, as revealed in his autobiography: Soul of Seven Million Dreams.More donations followed, Mucherahohwa exposed.
Derick Matsengarwodzi
Decades on, Chiyangwa has assumed the Zifa chairmanship. And after Cameroonian Christian Epoupa Ntouba was dismissed during the intense Highlanders and Dynamos match – he had a suspicious hand in helping him escape sanctions.
Coincidentally, Chiyangwa doubles as the Zimbabwe Referees Committee (ZRC) chairman, though his pedigree in this capacity remains questionable.
“Dr Chiyangwa announced the decision (nullification) following extensive deliberations with members of the referees committee and several important football stakeholders,” read part of the brief statement, justifying the nullification.
Football analysts are maddened by this blatant move – sodden with tribalism connotations, if you ask some Bosso faithful fans.
Past referee, ex-Zifa vice-president and Highlanders official, Ndumiso Gumede took to social media.
“News has it the incident of headbutting that resulted in a red card, has been rescinded by some kangaroo committee of ZIFA. Shame indeed.”
Relocated former Chronicle editor Mduduzi Mathuthu was not amused either.
“I sought clarity from Chiyangwa by the way. He says there was so much pushing and shoving everyone should have been sent off,” Mathuthu penned.
“Mane faces 3 match ban for that dangerous play yet Epoupa is set free for war like action. Zim football,” ZBC sportscaster Sibongumusa Dhlodhlo tweeted.
With the PSL contest galloping towards an epic conclusion, Epoupa leads the goal scoring charts with 12 strikes – and could eclipse the record of 24 goals buried by Chewe Mulenga, decades back.
Chicken Inn, Platinum FC and Ngezi Platinum still have hopes of clinching the title, though Dynamos has two games in hand. Amusingly, Dynamos, never appealed the decision, and were shocked with the Zifa outcome.
“Nothing to do with the red card was discussed and I only heard that the red-card has been nullified late in the afternoon after the meeting. I don’t know if any member of our executive had made an appeal.
“But I can confirm that nothing to that effect was discussed in the meeting we had the whole afternoon,” revealed Richard Chihoro, Dynamos manager to the media.
Dembare coach, Loyd Mutasa had prepared for life without Epoupa.
“As an institution, I am sure every game that we play we would want to come out victorious but these are the kind of results that you find in a football game but we cannot lose sleep over such a result, the bottom line is we have to go back to the drawing board and work on our weaknesses,” said Mutasa.
Even Law 12 of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) justifies the dismissal.
“Under law 12, any violent conduct by a player towards another is a sending-off offence. That Dynamos player headed the Highlanders player in an off-the-ball incident and the referee correctly flashed a red card.
“Violent conduct or retaliation is a dismissible offence,” said an instructor quizzed by the Chronicle.
For now, football devotees wait to overhear who are the ‘influential characters consulted’ by Chiyangwa, in a verdict that will further injure an already limping Zimbabwean soccer, deserted by football gods.
Coincidentally, Chiyangwa doubles as the Zimbabwe Referees Committee (ZRC) chairman, though his pedigree in this capacity remains questionable.
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| Controversial Player, Philip Chiyangwa |
“Dr Chiyangwa announced the decision (nullification) following extensive deliberations with members of the referees committee and several important football stakeholders,” read part of the brief statement, justifying the nullification.
Football analysts are maddened by this blatant move – sodden with tribalism connotations, if you ask some Bosso faithful fans.
Past referee, ex-Zifa vice-president and Highlanders official, Ndumiso Gumede took to social media.
“News has it the incident of headbutting that resulted in a red card, has been rescinded by some kangaroo committee of ZIFA. Shame indeed.”
Relocated former Chronicle editor Mduduzi Mathuthu was not amused either.
“I sought clarity from Chiyangwa by the way. He says there was so much pushing and shoving everyone should have been sent off,” Mathuthu penned.
“Mane faces 3 match ban for that dangerous play yet Epoupa is set free for war like action. Zim football,” ZBC sportscaster Sibongumusa Dhlodhlo tweeted.
With the PSL contest galloping towards an epic conclusion, Epoupa leads the goal scoring charts with 12 strikes – and could eclipse the record of 24 goals buried by Chewe Mulenga, decades back.
Chicken Inn, Platinum FC and Ngezi Platinum still have hopes of clinching the title, though Dynamos has two games in hand. Amusingly, Dynamos, never appealed the decision, and were shocked with the Zifa outcome.
“Nothing to do with the red card was discussed and I only heard that the red-card has been nullified late in the afternoon after the meeting. I don’t know if any member of our executive had made an appeal.
“But I can confirm that nothing to that effect was discussed in the meeting we had the whole afternoon,” revealed Richard Chihoro, Dynamos manager to the media.
Dembare coach, Loyd Mutasa had prepared for life without Epoupa.
“As an institution, I am sure every game that we play we would want to come out victorious but these are the kind of results that you find in a football game but we cannot lose sleep over such a result, the bottom line is we have to go back to the drawing board and work on our weaknesses,” said Mutasa.
Even Law 12 of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) justifies the dismissal.
“Under law 12, any violent conduct by a player towards another is a sending-off offence. That Dynamos player headed the Highlanders player in an off-the-ball incident and the referee correctly flashed a red card.
“Violent conduct or retaliation is a dismissible offence,” said an instructor quizzed by the Chronicle.
For now, football devotees wait to overhear who are the ‘influential characters consulted’ by Chiyangwa, in a verdict that will further injure an already limping Zimbabwean soccer, deserted by football gods.
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