ZIFA has leapt to Warriors manager Wellington Mupandare’s defence in the wake of an attack by Mamelodi Sundowns over his handling of Khama Billiat’s call-up to the national football team camp.
BY HENRY MHARA
The South African side, through their spokesperson Thulani Thuswa, on Wednesday reacted angrily to claims by Mupandare that they were attempting to block Billiat from joining his international teammates to prepare for a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Liberia at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.
Sundowns argued that their player was injured and could, therefore, not release him for the weekend match, with Mupandare, on the other side, insisting on having the player travel to Harare so that he could be assessed by the Warriors doctors for a second opinion.
The Pretoria side was forced to release Billiat on Wednesday after Zifa president Philip Chiyangwa had threatened to report them to world football governing body Fifa, which compels clubs to release players for Fifa calendar matches.
But that was not before Thuswa issued a scathing attack on Mupandare, after the latter had claimed that former Warriors captain Peter Ndlovu, who is now Sundowns’ team manager, was playing a big part in blocking Billiat.
However, Zifa, in a statement yesterday, defended Mupandare, saying he was just doing his job.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association has noted with concern distasteful comments coming from Mamelodi Sundowns towards our senior national manager Wellington Mupandare. Mupandare has conducted his duties in a professional manner. And as Zifa, we are fully confident in Mupandare in the way he has discharged his duties so far and we have no doubt that he has been above board,” the Zifa statement read.
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“As an association, we believe our team manager acted within Fifa regulations in seeking the release of Khama Billiat for international duty and assessment by our medical team to determine the extent of his injuries.
“Zifa has great respect for the Mamelodi Sundowns president, Mr Patrice Motsepe, his executive and team management, but we believe the vitriolic attacks on Mupandare are unwarranted, in bad taste and do not promote the spirit of unity and friendliness that Fifa seeks to inculcate in the relationship between clubs and football associations, not forgetting the fans.”
Billiat arrived in the country on Wednesday accompanied by Ndlovu and was assessed by the Warriors doctors, who confirmed the injury and sent him back to South Africa.
Thuswa had on Wednesday ripped Mpandare apart for insisting on the release of Billiat.
Interestingly, Sundowns agreed to release Hlompho Kekana for camp with the South Africa national team, despite the midfielder carrying an injury, and was sent back after an assessment by the Bafana Bafana doctors.
“First, I have to make it known that this Wellington [Mupandare] character is just getting too excited. Is he new in the job?” Thuswa was quoted in the South African media as having said.
“In the past, we have always worked well with Zifa and have respect for both their president [Chiyangwa] and coach [Norman Mapeza]. We have always enjoyed good relations with Zifa because we have always had Zimbabwean players at the club and that shouldn’t be spoilt by this Wellington guy.”
