FIFA kitchen sink, ‘we are not backing down,’ says SRC
The Sport and Recreation Commission (SRC) says the ZIFA board and the association’s secretary general remain suspended despite FIFA’s suspension.
“FIFA statutes are not part of the laws of Zimbabwe,” said SRC chairman Gerald Mlotshwa.
“…the ZIFA Executive Committee and the General Secretary *shall* remain suspended. The various matters pending before the courts in Zimbabwe *shall* continue as *shall* the criminal proceedings and all other actions focused on restructuring football in the country,” he added.
Mlotshwa said domestic football shall continue and it will be “supported fully by the SRC as has been the demonstrable case thus far. ZIFA will return to the ‘FIFA Family’ when it is in condition to do so.”
FIFA has in Cameroon and Ghana, previously appointed a normalisation committee after imposing a ban on the aforementioned associations.
Sources say it is likely the parastatal whose purpose is to regulate and promote development of sport and recreation in Zimbabwe, is banking on the same fate
“A normalisation committee, if it is to come, can take months after back and forth CAF and FIFA mission visits to Zimbabwe,” said a highly placed source.
“Either way, Zimbabwe will miss out on the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, CHAN 2023, and African Champions League while hundreds of footballers’ careers will be dealt a heavy blow.”
FIFA suspended Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) with immediate effect due to flagrant violations of the FIFA Statutes.
The world football governing body said it will only lift suspension upon the reinstatement of the ZIFA board and dissolving the ZIFA restructuring committee.
FIFA kitchen sink, ‘we are not backing down,’ say SRC
