THE woes that have haunted women’s football in this country
reached another level with the Mighty Warriors boycotting the second leg of the
second round Olympic qualifiers at the National Sports Stadium.
The match was expected to kick-off at 3pm but the Zimbabwe
senior women’s side didn’t show up for duty.
According to Zifa communication and competitions manager, Xolisani
Gwesela, some of the clubs withdrew their players from camp on Saturday at the
Zifa Village and this made it impossible for them to proceed with the match.
“Around 10pm yesterday (Saturday) we were notified by the
team manager that Blue Swallows, Correctional Queens and Black Rhinos football
administrators had taken away players from camp totalling to 12,’’ said
Gwesela.
“Then, today, (in the) morning Herentals also took their
players from camp.
“So, we communicated with Fifa about our position, we
requested Fifa to allow us to change the players, Fifa accepted that we can
change the players. “By the time the teams arrived at the stadium the new
players had not reported for camp.
“So, we then wrote to Fifa seeking postponement of the
match but Fifa have written back to us to say can you consult with Zambian
Football Association so that they accept that, then the match can be postponed,
that’s where we stand.’’
While Gwesela said there were no reasons communicated to
Zifa on why the clubs withdrew their players, there have been indications that
action was provoked by pleas from the players.
The players have been complaining that they have not been
receiving their allowances, appearance fees and bonuses from the association.
They claim the stand-off with the Zifa leaders goes back to
the time when they took part in the Cosafa tournament where the Mighty Warriors
finished third.
The Mighty Warriors were expected to get $2 400 each for
their participation at the regional tournament where they settled for bronze.
Zifa have also come up with a vastly-reduced payment
schedule for national teams while the association also raised the red flag on
Saturday when they announced one of their former employees had obtained a court
order to freeze their bank account.
“I cannot comment on rumours, unfortunately, but what I can
confirm is that we have a contractual obligation between us and players and not
between Zifa and clubs.
“Clubs are members of Zifa, so I cannot comment on issues
where reasons were not proffered when withdrawing these players from camp.
“Unfortunately, the clubs that took players from camp did
not proffer any reasons for withdrawing players from camp.
“But, in terms of regulations governing the release and
status of players, once a player is released into camp, it’s prohibited, it’s
not allowed for you to withdraw a player from camp especially when the game is
on the international calendar,” said Gwesela.
Zambia’s head of
delegation, Rix Mweemba, who is also the vice-president of the Football
Association of Zambia, expressed disappointment over yesterday’s development
and said they now await communication from Caf and Fifa.
“What happens is that we are travelling back tomorrow
definitely as per programme but decisions and everything else is done by Caf or
Fifa.
“We are law-abiding, we don’t take the law into our own
hands. At the moment we can say a report has to be done by the match
commissioner to Fifa and Caf.
“Whatever decision is coming out of there, we shall abide
by it,” said Mweemba. While Gwesela said they were consulting with the Zambians
for postponement of the match, after writing to Fifa, Mweemba said consultation
should have been done earlier.
“We had a pre-match meeting yesterday at Cresta Oasis . . .
Everything was done but we were told when we arrived here 15 minutes when our
team was warming only to hear Zimbabwe are not coming, they have got problems.
“Consultations, this should have taken place maybe even two
days ago, I mean we are brothers and sisters with Zimbabwe . . . we have a lot
to learn here.
“But, you see, when everybody is ready and all is set what
are the implications of changing that date?…It’s a lot of expenses.
“If we had been told earlier we could adjust, make a
programme, accordingly, but to just come and incur that is carelessness again
in spending, we can’t allow such a thing, it’s unfortunate that’s what I can
say,” said Mweemba.
Zambia’s ambassador to Zimbabwe, Emmanuel Tawana Chenda,
who had come to watch the match, said this was a sad development.
The Zambians carried a 5-0 lead in the first leg after
scoring five times in the second half of that match in Lusaka.
The Mighty Warriors, who held their own in the first half,
blamed fatigue for their second half collapse after having travelled to Lusaka
by bus. Herald
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