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Peter Dube

Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
PREMIERSHIP clubs, stung by the breakdown in relations with ZIFA, will converge in Harare this morning to discuss developments in the game which have also left them leaderless following the suspension of their chairman Peter Dube.

Dube was on Monday suspended from all football activities by ZIFA, who accuse him of violating sections of the association’s constitution through his conduct.

The representatives of the country’s flagship league are also expected to spend considerable time discussing the thorny relegation-promotion issue, which ironically triggered their sensational fallout with ZIFA.

It promises to be a crunch meeting that will also put to a severe test the unity within the clubs who were left on one side during the October 29 ZIFA annual meeting as a section of the assembly voted to demote four teams from the PSL at the end of the season.

Today’s meeting also comes on the weekend of the penultimate round of matches with CAPS United, FC Platinum and Highlanders vying for the championship title. But the move by ZIFA to demote four instead of two teams from the PSL if it sails through will plunge more teams than just Mutare City, Tsholotsho and Chapungu into the relegation quandary.

If the resolution to relegate four teams prevails at the end of the season, it would mean that Mutare City and Tsholotsho would automatically be relegated even if they win their last two matches.

It would then also leave Triangle, Hwange and How Mine fighting for their survival when they had appeared to be safe when Border Strikers were confirmed as the first casualties of the relegation matrix.

Sources said last night that there was massive lobbying and consultations talking place between the board of governors and some councillors ahead of the PSL meeting.

“Unless something dramatic happens, the clubs are sticking with demoting two and accepting two. Of course, there has been a plot to come up with a compromise deal of saying the PSL expands to 18 teams and still relegate two which would then accommodate the four regional champions, but that again might not win favour with the clubs,’’ the sources said.

The clubs are at the end of the meeting also expected to come out with their official position on both their chairman’s suspension and the relegation puzzle.

Dube actually suffered a double blow as his suspension by ZIFA also affected his position at Highlanders where he is the club chairman.

His club Bosso were also dealt a double blow as their chief executive Ndumiso Gumede was on Monday handed a ban by ZIFA for his alleged role in a plot to have the board led by Philip Chiyangwa dissolved by FIFA.

But with ZIFA likely to stick to their guns on demoting four clubs, the outcome of today’s indaba could also set the stage for the showdown between the mother body and its biggest affiliate.

ZIFA have already moved to crackdown on the PSL if the tone of a memorandum to all the top-flight clubs issued by the association’s acting chief executive Joseph Mamutse is anything to go by.

Mamutse in his memo warned the clubs against allowing any individuals sanctioned by ZIFA from interacting with the teams.

The memo also comes against the background of a public statement by Gumede that he would not recognise his ban by ZIFA and would only stop reporting for duty if directed to do so by his employers — Highlanders.

Mamutse also ordered the clubs to ensure they are “complaint with their membership obligations’’ to the association or risk being penalised.

“The ZIFA Executive Committee directs that all Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League Clubs be fully compliant with their membership obligations to ZIFA in terms of Article 13 of the ZIFA Constitution. In particular, each club is required to promptly submit to the ZIFA Acting Chief Executive Officer, details of the following:

1. Full names, telephone numbers and email addresses of:-

2. The club’s Chairman/President

3. The club’s CEO

4. The club’s Spokesperson

“Further, in accordance with Article 13 (h), each club is bound not to maintain any relations of any nature whatsoever with persons and entities that have no legal recognition in the ZIFA statutes or with individuals and members that have been suspended or expelled.

“Members are reminded that in terms of Article 17 (2), each PSL Club as a member of ZIFA is required to take all decisions on matters regarding their membership independently of an external body, entity or person.

“All Zimbabwe PSL clubs are required at all material times to be fully compliant with all decisions, directives and resolutions of the ZIFA Congress and ZIFA Executive Committee.

“Any violation of membership obligations may lead to sanctions provided for in the statutes in terms Article 13 (2) of the ZIFA Constitution,’’ wrote Mamutse.