Zimbabwe football administrators defy FIFA again

In another act of defiance, football administrators in Zimbabwe have slated elections for a new substantive Zimbabwe Football Association [ZIFA] board for December 2023.

Following an Extraordinary General Meeting [EGM] held on Saturday, they unanimously resolved to follow a constitutional roadmap to the so-called polls.

The act, however, is in direct contravention of FIFA’s directive that the key to unlocking Zimbabwe’s football from suspension is by reinstating Felton Kamambo and his executive board.

Kamambo and his executive were illegally removed from office by a government arm, Sports and Recreation Commission [SRC] on a litany of allegations that include corruption, mismanagement of funds and sexual harassment.

DECLARED NULLITY BY FIFA

The interim board led by Gift Banda was declared a nullity by FIFA but the 45 ZIFA councillors that attended the meeting resolved to retain the acting president, Banda until the elections.

“We were given an extension of our terms, which were meant to expire on December 18 this year, to December 2023, (and we are supposed) to have held our elections by then,” Banda said as quoted by the Sunday Mail.

According to Banda, the association is planning to start engagements with FIFA.

“We resolved to continuously engage SRC and FIFA to find common ground so that our suspension (from the international game) can be lifted.

“Because we all agreed that the impasse is not between FIFA and ZIFA, but it is between SRC and FIFA.

“It was resolved that we continuously engage FIFA and SRC to find common ground so that we come back to football as soon as possible,” said Banda.

The Southern African nation remains suspended by FIFA since February because of government interference after the SRC removed Felton Kamambo’s board in November last year.

“It was also agreed that the quickest way of resolving this impasse is for us to start preparing for the elections and inviting FIFA to come in and guide us on the roadmap towards our elections,” he added.

It remains to be seen what the engagements with FIFA will yield, though the Zurich-based organization is unlikely to change their position on the reinstatement of Kamambo.

Infact, FIFA have shown that Kamambo remains the recognized ZIFA president by inviting him to the opening and final match of the World Cup to be staged in Qatar starting on 20 November to 18 December.