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NewsDay

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Another Zifa meeting

Sport
The “dubious gift” TP Mazembe wealthy owner Moise Katumbi gave to Dynamos last year could come back to haunt the Harare giants. Zifa has the matter as top priority in today’s indaba. Zifa is expected to give an update on the current state of football to the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) this morning. Sources […]

The “dubious gift” TP Mazembe wealthy owner Moise Katumbi gave to Dynamos last year could come back to haunt the Harare giants.

Zifa has the matter as top priority in today’s indaba. Zifa is expected to give an update on the current state of football to the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) this morning.

Sources told NewsDay Sport yesterday the numerous scandals that have rocked the game of football of late — chief among them the Asiagate scandal and the Centralgate — will dominate discussions.

The source, however, said the gift Dynamos received from TP Mazembe last year will be discussed “extensively”.

Three Zifa board members Methembe Ndlovu, Solomon Mugavazi and Kennias Marange have already been suspended for their alleged involvement in the Asiagate while the Centralgate which unravelled a match-fixing scam in Central Region Division One, has already claimed the scalps of two other board members — Gift Banda and Patrick Hokonya.

“The Asiagate and the Centralgate scandals will obviously dominate discussions, but it is the Dynamos gift that is set to be discussed extensively.

“This issue has been ignored for a long time now for reasons we don’t know.

“SRC have said they want that issue to be investigated and they expect to be briefed on its early findings tomorrow (today),” said the source.

Dynamos were allegedly handed a $50 000 cash gift by Katumbi — apparently to boost morale within the team after being eliminated from the Champions League at the group stages following a 2-1 defeat by his club TP Mazembe.

Katumbi is also alleged to have paid for Dynamos’ return flight from Democratic Republic of Congo. Dynamos were in Group A with Mazembe, Algeria’s Entente Settif and Tunisian giants Esperance.

However, it later turned out the “gift” was actually a “bribe” so Dynamos could beat Esperance who were neck-and-neck- with TP Mazembe going into the final rounds of the matches.

A win for Dynamos would have seen Mazembe needing just a draw against Entente Settif to finish top of Group A and avoid tournament favourites JS Kabylie in the next round.

Zifa yesterday confirmed the Dynamos gift was one of numerous issues to be discussed.

The football association is also expected to use the indaba to appeal to the SRC to reduce levies the association is charged on all international matches.

Zifa are also expected to present the Cosafa Women championships report and their proposals to host international tournaments.

Zifa has been offered to host the championships next year, but the government seems to be reluctant to approve it.