ZIFA may court the ire of Cosafa following the usage of the regional football body’s tickets for the Bob90 Super Cup elimination match played between Highlanders and Harare City at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo on Sunday as it emerges that Zanu PF did not want the match to go ahead.
BY FORTUNE MBELE/THANDIWE MOYO
Zanu PF secretary for youth Absolom Sikhosana had apparently written to Zifa on Friday advising that the Bob90 Super Cup had been cancelled.
While reasons for the cancellation by Zanu PF had not been given, sources say the major issue was the disappearance of $9 000 last year from the turnstiles during the first leg between Dynamos and Highlanders at Barbourfields.
“There is a feeling that people are using the name of President (Robert) Mugabe in vain and for their own ends. We are made to understand they approached senior party officials and pleaded their case saying Harare City were already in Bulawayo and were given the go-ahead,” sources said yesterday.
Zimbabwe hosted the Cosafa Cup in 2009, under the then leadership of Wellington Nyatanga and won the cup after beating Zambia 3-1 in the final. The Swaziland-Comoros match was played on October 22, 2009 at Barbourfields.
According to information gathered from a Zifa insider, 8 236 fans paid to watch the game and the $28 453 grossed was handed over to unnamed members of the organising team.
Earlier on Sunday, they were indications that the game would not be played as the organisers had no tickets, but the 2009 Cosafa Senior Challenge Cup tickets were availed by the Zifa Bulawayo office for the match.
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“They (the organisers) had no tickets and they got the tickets from Zifa. Everything was under control. A total of 8 236 fans paid to watch the match and the gross of $28 453 was handed over to the organisers,” the source at Zifa said. Chairman of the Bob Super Cup organising committee, Harare businessman Stan Kasukuwere, yesterday said he did not know where the tickets came from.
On the attendance figures and the gate-takings, Kasukuwere said he had not received a report from the committee.
“I am chairman and we used Highlanders staffers at the gates. You can ask Jerry Sibanda (the Highlanders treasurer). He should have the figures. We had our administrator and accountant there. But what I know is that the city council had already been paid about $3 000 for use of the stadium. I don’t know where the tickets came from, probably they came from Zifa,” Kasukuwere said.
However, Sibanda denied that the organisers had used Highlanders staffers and referred Southern Eye Sport to Zifa.
“It is not true. They did not use any of our staff, but what I know is that maybe 8 256 fans paid to watch the match,” Sibanda said.
Efforts to get a comment from Zifa chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze on the use of the Cosafa tickets for the match were fruitless as he was said to be in a meeting.
On Monday, one of the organisers of the tournament, Charles Mabika, who ironically was also the match commentator on national television during the match, said: “At the moment I do not have the exact figure, but I can tell you that a little over 8 000 people watched the match yesterday (Sunday).
“I cannot say how much was realised as proceeds, on that I would have to confirm with the chairman. There were a lot of expenses incurred such as the accommodation for the teams, cashiers and staff at the stadium and the proceeds will be used to cover those expenses,” he said.
On Sunday after the match, Mabika told reporters that they had challenges before the match, but the organising team had overcome the hurdles. Yesterday, Mabika said the date for the cup final between Highlanders and Dynamos was yet to be decided.
“We are still to look for a date when the final will be played, but it is definitely on but not this Sunday due to the President’s birthday celebrations,” Mabika said.
Last year, some suspected Zanu PF youths allegedly snatched more than $9 000 from council employees at a Bob89 Super Cup match at BF and the city fathers this year demanded that the money for the usage of the facility be paid up front.
