THE Confederation of African Football (Caf) all but confirmed Highlanders’ three-year ban from the inter-clubs competitions after they omitted the Bulawayo giants from the 2013 Champions League draw on Monday. REPORT BY OUR SPORTS EDITOR
This effectively means Highlanders can only return to Africa in 2016, despite Zifa’s hopes. Zifa chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze said last night that despite the draw having been conducted, they were hopeful that the ban would still be lifted. “While the draw has taken place, we have engaged Caf on the ban itself away from next year’s competitions.”
Mashingaidze argues that the competitions department, instead of the executive committee, will deal with the issue. “We are expecting something tomorrow (today).”
The recent decision by Caf has left Dynamos as the country’s sole representatives in Africa next season after both Monomotapa and Chicken Inn pulled out of the Confederation Cup. Highlanders, who had finished second in the Castle Premier Soccer League championship race, had a window of opportunity to participate had Caf ruled in their favour.
Highlanders were registered by Zifa for this year’s Caf Confederation Cup competition despite stating they had no financial resources to engage in African club competitions. Zifa took the blame and have been pleading with the continental body not to effect a three-year ban which falls under Article 13,4 of the Rules and Regulations governing the competition.
The stipulation reads: “Every club withdrawing from the competition after the establishment of the fixtures will be forbidden from playing in Caf inter-club competitions for three years following its withdrawal.”
But not only did Caf throw them out, their matter did not even come into discussion by the competitions bureau which went ahead and conducted the draw without making provisions for Highlanders.
Caf though made a provision for a team from Congo (Brazzaville) which will play CF Mounana of Gabon.
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A Press release issued by Caf yesterday also indicates that the executive committee dealt with the 2013 Afcon finals preparations and Under-17 and Under-20 African Youth Championships to be staged next year.
Instead the biggest news from the executive committee meeting was the announcement that long-serving former athlete, Issa Hayatou, will remain in charge of African football until 2017 after being nominated unopposed after a change of rules stopped all hopefuls from contesting.
Hayatou (66) oversaw a change in the Caf statutes that allow only voting members of its executive committee to contest the presidency. Caf’s Khaled Nassar of the Competitions Division, who had written to Zifa, had not responded to questions sent to their media department.
He had initially written to Zifa last week: “We acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 26 to engage Highlanders FC in the Caf inter-club competitions. However, we would like to inform you that this request will be submitted to the Bureau of Interclub Competitions on December 09 2012.
“Meanwhile, in order to preserve your right to engage your teams before November 30, 2012, we kindly request to send us the following before the deadline: 1-4 teams in case of approval of Caf Organising Committee to engage Highlanders FC. “2-4 teams in case of rejection of Caf Organising Committee to engage Highlanders FC.”
As things stand, only two Zimbabwean coaches will be in the Champions League next season with former Warriors coach Madinda Ndlovu leading Botswana champions Mochudi Centre Chiefs against Maxaquene of Mozambique. And if Dynamos coach Kalisto Pasuwa thought he was the only one facing the firing squad with a possible tie against Al Ahly, then he better not worry.
Madinda, if he does pass Maxaquene, has a date against TP Mazembe, the cash-rich Democratic Republic of Congo champions.
