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Tense times for Dube

Sport
Zifa president Cuthbert Dube faces a crucial four days as he prepares to give his dismantled board a report-back on the two match-fixing scandals that have rocked Zimbabwean football — Asiagate and Centralgate. According to a Zifa circular released yesterday by the national association, an extraordinary board meeting will take place on Friday followed by […]

Zifa president Cuthbert Dube faces a crucial four days as he prepares to give his dismantled board a report-back on the two match-fixing scandals that have rocked Zimbabwean football — Asiagate and Centralgate.

According to a Zifa circular released yesterday by the national association, an extraordinary board meeting will take place on Friday followed by an extraordinary general assembly meeting 24 hours later.

Today, Dube will meet Fifa Southern Region development officer Ashford Mamelodi to discuss the third phase of the Zifa Goal Project, but a letter written by one of the suspended board members might come up for discussion.

Sources yesterday also indicated that Dube would meet with two “trusted” board members today to go over some issues, thought to be an interim report on Asiagate from the Justice Ahmed Ebrahim-led independent disciplinary committee.

He will present the report to Saturday’s meeting which will confirm the fate of the suspended members, according to the agenda.

The two match-fixing scandals have led to the suspension of five board members with one of them already having written to Fifa, alleging constitutional violations after the national association failed to conduct disciplinary hearings within the scheduled 14 days.

Dube’s board is already decimated by the suspensions of vice-president Kenny Marange, board member development Methembe Ndlovu, Northern Region chairman Solomon Mugavazi, Gift Banda from the Southern Region and Central Region boss Patrick Hokonya.

All had denied their alleged involvement in match-fixing, which has also drawn in players and former administrators, and Ndlovu, Marange and Mugavazi have been interviewed by Ebrahim’s committee on their involvement in Asiagate.

Board member marketing Nigel Munyati is also not singing from the same hymn book as his principals after the Puma sponsorship deal saga and has been stopped from making any comments on the issue.

This leaves Dube with first vice-president and acting referees’ committee chairperson Ndumiso Gumede, board member competitions and acting board member development Benedict Moyo and board member finance Elliot Kasu as the main people on the board.

The Premier Soccer League will be represented by Twine Phiri while Mavis Gumbo will stand in as the women football boss.

The North, South and Central regions will be represented by acting chairpersons.

Friday’s agenda will also look at the failed 2012 Africa Cup of Nations campaign where a home draw against Cape Verde Islands and a 2-1 away loss to the same team in the penultimate qualifier cost the Warriors a place in the finals currently underway in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

This, together with the other usual Under-20 and Under-23 failures, has seen Zifa come up with new technical set-ups which will be approved by the assembly on Saturday before a public announcement.

No changes are expected in the senior team, but coach Norman Mapeza is likely to get another assistant coach at least or a technical advisor.

The Puma deal, which was supposed to be concluded in December, is also hanging in the balance and is now being handled by the presidium, which has Dube and Gumede.

The Saturday extraordinary general meeting will look at, among other issues:

To receive, consider, adopt or otherwise deal with the 2010 Audited Accounts which have circulated seven (7) calendar days before the meeting;

To consider amendments to the Zifa Constitution of which due notice of fourteen (14) calendar days has been given before the meeting;

To receive, consider and adopt the draft Zifa Rules and Regulations which shall have been circulated at least fourteen (14) calendar days before the meeting,

To receive, consider and adopt the 2012 Plan of Action;

To receive and adopt the report on the Zifa Village; and

To receive, consider and adopt the report on the suspension of members.