While most agree that Zifa is the reason Zimbabwean football is in the mud, they still raise some questions as to how Fifa – as big as they are – could stoop so low as to expel Zimbabwe from the World Cup on the basis of the $67,000 debt owed to former Warriors coach, Jose Claudinei Georgini Valinhos.
Many are of the opinion that Fifa have set a wrong precedent, arguing that the international football federation could soon find itself flooded with minor cases that should not be at their door at all.
Former Kadoma United defender, Aleck Muhoni, believes Fifa should not handle cases involving national associations and their employees.
“I think this is all wrong. A big institution like Fifa should not be involved in such cases. Imagine if all the 206 associations that fall under Fifa have a fall out with their coaches or their employees.
There would be no football at all,” he said. A legal expert, Tawanda Mwakatuka, said the decision to suspend Zimbabwe was too harsh and questioned how the international football controlling body could have reached such a conclusion.
“I feel the decision was not only harsh but also unfair. There were better ways of dealing with the matter than expelling the Warriors from the World Cup,” said Mwakatuka. “I think they should appeal. Their case is quite clear.”
Zifa recently hinted they would appeal the decision.
Some people think Fifa should have deducted the $67,000 from Zifa’s $250,000 annual grant.
Fifa had initially given Zifa a one-month grace period, which was later extended to two months and eventually three months, but Zifa failed to pay.
Valinhos, who coached the Warriors between 2007 and 2008, appealed to Fifa after efforts to get his outstanding salaries and bonuses had yielded no results.
Meanwhile, Futsal football junior development programme coach, Philip Zulu, branded Zifa “a group of clueless clowns” following the ban.
“It never rains but pours for the clueless brigade of pretenders and comedians masquerading as football administrators,” said a fuming Zulu in an interview.
“Yes it sounds like a fairytale when we heard in parliament that Jonathan Mashingaidze is one in all. He is the financial ‘guru’ who prepares all transactions of the board but sadly without any ‘visible’
account with a registered bank. It is so bad when one ponders how these football malcontents have been given largesse to ruin our game with impunity and callousness,” he said.
Post published in: Football