The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
THE Premier Soccer League (PSL) is likely to have its way in its tiff with the Central Region over the replacement of Whawha who have failed to pay their affiliation fee to the top flight body as Zifa is reluctant to involve itself in the issue.
Central Region champions Whawha were promoted to the top flight but failed to meet the deadline to pay the $208 000 affiliation fee demanded by the PSL.
The region’s chairman, Stanley Chapeta wrote to Zifa requesting they wanted to be given the right to replace Whawha with Shesham who emerged second while on the other hand PSL are insisting on giving a lifeline to the side that finished positioned 15th last year.
Zifa chief executive officer, Joseph Mamuste while confirming receiving correspondence from Chapeta said they were yet to get any word from the PSL.
“We have not received any letter from PSL indicating there is an issue that needs to be handled, we won’t be taking any action. We will wait to hear from them,” he said.
The PSL indicated on Thursday Tenax from the Eastern Region had been fully admitted to the PSL after paying its affiliation fees.
PSL chief executive officer, Kenny Ndebele was quoted in the media saying the PSL board resolved at its AGM held early this month that if the clubs fail to pay, they will consider them relegated.
“The board made another resolution that, in the event that the clubs failed to pay, they will consider them relegated. But, in the event that a team should be considered to replace them, it will be Chapungu, TelOne, Mushowani and Hwange. Any team that comes into the league, it is coming on the rules set by the governors of the board,” he was quoted saying.
While Chapeta was of the opinion that it is the mandate of the Zifa Assembly to promote teams into the PSL, the Zifa constitution is silent on what happens when a club fails to pay affiliation fees after being elevated.
A Zifa councillor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the matter was out of the Central Region’s hands as they had played their role in sending Whawha as the team was promoted from the region.
“The Zifa constitution is silent on what happens in such a scenario and when there is no clear guidance from the charter it is then up to congress to have a say on the matter. However, in all fairness the Central Region cannot claim the slot because they were done with it when they wrote to the PSL indicating that Whawha would be occupying that place. To come back and claim that slot is ingenious as they should have made sure they are promoting a team that would meet the rigorous demands of the Premiership,” he said.
A former administrator said once a lower league sends a team to a higher league, they cannot lay claim to replacing that team.
“It is up to the PSL to determine what happens to Whawha even though there is no clarity on that in terms of statutes. It is just like Zifa sending a team to a Caf competition and once it faces challenges then Zifa wants to replace it, we all know that it is impossible. Whawha should have indicated they are incapacitated to take part in the Premiership and just left it to another team,” said the veteran administrator.
Maybe it is a blessing as it solves the violation of allowing two teams owned by the same entity to play in the league, something which football rules do not allow.”
