Sports Shorts 31 March 2006

rs who were arrested at Harare International Airport on arrival from Casablanca, Morocco where they had played in the CAF Champions League.

Coach Gishon Ntini argued with immigration officials that the Premiership side had concluded the issue of the work permits, but officials said the club had not yet paid for the required documents. It is understood a fee of Z$300 million is required to process the permits.

CAPS finance manager Simon Chifamba is reported to have declined to discuss

the latest problem to rock the beleaguered champions.

The club’s director and owner Twine Phiri said from Harare that the players were “safe and sound.” – Sports correspondent

PSL kicks off

HARARE – The Premier Soccer League (PSL) season kicked off on a positive note with most clubs playing some good football and in the process raising the bar for the new season.

After the weekend’s round of exciting matches, fans throughout the country are hoping that there will be real competition during the title race this season.

CAPS United have won the league championship over the past two seasons.

Harare giants, Dynamos showed some glimpses of their old self when they beat Shooting Stars 1-0 at a packed Rufaro Stadium in Harare. Dynamos fans will now hope that their beloved club will rise to the occasion and clinch the championship.

Young Evans Gwekwerere illuminated Rufaro with some good skills and vision. It came as no surprise when he grabbed the winner just four minutes before full time. It was a grudge match, which lived up to expectations.

Dynamos fans were bitter that Shooting Stars took from their club virtually the whole team that featured for them last year.

Highlanders also made a statement in their quest to win the title with an important a 2-1 away victory at Chapungu. New coach Methembe Ndlovu will hope that the win over Chapungu is the tonic the team needs to win the championship and appease Bosso’s demanding fans.

A disjointed CAPS United team travelled to Bulawayo to face old enemy Zimbabwe Saints and they did well to collect maximum points with a narrow 1-0 win.

Motor Action will have to work harder if they are to stay in the top-flight league if their 3-0 thrashing by Monomotapa is anything to go by.

Impatient owner Erick Rosen, is already reported to be looking for a new coach to complement current head coach, Joey Antipas. – ZimOnline

Nyatanga is new Fifa chairman

HARARE – Wellington Nyatanga beat Cuthbert Dube by 17 votes to eight to succeed Rafik Khan as chairman of the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa).

Nyatanga, who beat Cuthbert Dube by 17 votes to eight, takes over from Rafik Khan, who was jailed earlier this month.

A long standing dispute between two factions within Zifa had seen Zimbabwe

at risk of a ban from the world governing body.

“We’re happy that the process of the roadmap ended today,” said Ashford

Mamelodi, Fifa’s development officer for Africa, who oversaw the elections last weekend.

“We want to believe that this has cleansed the system and you will all

forget the troubles.”

Nyatanga, a former chairman of the premier league, has called on all stake

holders in Zimbabwean football to close ranks and work together.

“I’d like to see total unity within football, we need to work as a team,

government included,” he said. “My priority is qualification for the 2008 Nations Cup.”

The new Zifa board members are expected to attend a training course to be

organised by the government-run Sports Commission in April, following criticism from President Robert Mugabe, who accused Zifa of mismanaging the game. – Sports reporter

Nyandoro thrills in SA

By Savious Kwinika
JOHANNESBURG – Zimbabwean midfielder, Esrom Nyandoro, produced a scintillating performance when he helped his side Mamelodi Sundowns narrowly edge Mabopane Young Masters 0-1 in the AbSA cup encounter at the Pilditch Stadium here at the weekend.
Although Nyandoro could not find the target for the Brazilians, his classic touch, vision and accurate passing helped the Pretoria based soccer outfit proceed to the quarter-final stage of the ABSA tournament.

His fellow countryman, Peter Ndlovu did not feature in yesterday’s encounter as he was resting. Sundowns’ solitary goal came from the boot of Manqoba “Shakes” Ngwenya in the first half. Since Neil Torvey took over the reigns as head coach at Sundowns, Peter Ndlovu has been playing regularly for the Brazilians, in many occasions scoring important goals. It is the combination of Peter Ndlovu and Nyandoro that has seen the team threaten to walk away with the South African premiership this season.

However, the Young Masters stood firm in their game approach as they matched Sundowns man for man but lady lucky did not smile on them. – CAJ News

Zim to play Bangladesh

HARARE – Bangladesh will play 12 one-day internationals against Zimbabwe this year. Five matches will be played in Zimbabwe in July, and the rest will be in Bangladesh in November. Zimbabwe, who are suspended from Test cricket, will tour Bangladesh after the ICC Champions Trophy in India in October. – Sports reporter

CAPS kicked out of Champions
HARARE – CAPS United have been dismissed from the African Champions League after using two improperly registered players in the first round. Acting on a complaint from their first round opponents Inter Star of Burundi, CAPS were found to have supplied false information for the registration of Malawian imports George Martin and Gift Makoloni. They had also submitted their international transfer certificates after the January 15 deadline and were accused of attempting to play Martin Guramasandu in the first leg with a false registration card. – Sports reporter

Phiri accuses Moroccans of plot

HARARE – CAPS United owner Twine Phiri believes there was a deliberate plot by the Moroccan authorities to derail his team’s travel arrangements and destroy their morale ahead of their African Champions League recent clash.

The Harare businessman, who failed to watch his team in action after visa complications left him stranded in London, claimed there was a hidden plot behind the many problems his team encountered during the trip.

Phiri’s dreams of watching his team take on Raja Casablanca in their Champions League first round showdown turned into a nightmare after the airline he was booked on barred him from travelling to Morocco because he did not have a visa. Phiri said he had a letter from the Moroccan Football Federation, which guaranteed him a visa at the port of entry. But airline officials insisted that he get a letter from Moroccan immigration and his spirited attempts to secure the required documentation failed. “The most disappointing thing was getting people in Morocco, whom you would have been referred to, switching off their phones once they realised that this was an issue regarding a Raja Casablanca guest. I believe they thought I was a player instead of an official and they really did not want me to travel to that country. It’s sad when you have to go through all that hell just for the sake of sport and I’m not happy with the way that we were treated by our brothers that side,” said Phiri. – Sports reporter