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Tirivashe Nheweyembwa

Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
THE Sports and Recreation Commission have said ZIFA should make a decision on the abandoned Independence Trophy final between Dynamos and holders FC Platinum at the National Sports Stadium on Saturday.

The match was abandoned midway through the second half when a power cut occurred. Dynamos were leading 1-0 courtesy of Ronald Chitiyo’s first half strike when referee Pedzisai Chadya decided to call off the contest with only 65 minutes played.

ZIFA had indicated they will seek guidance from the Sports Commission but yesterday the supreme sports body threw the issue back to the association and explained that such technical issues can only be managed by the football mother body.

SRC corporate communications officer Tirivashe Nheweyembwa said the ball was in ZIFA’s court since the arm of the government only comes in on funding and logistics to make sure that the tournament is played while issues to do with the actual playing of the game on the pitch fall under ZIFA’s rule. “The Government only came in to give funding to the competition and ZIFA are in charge of the technical rules. So ZIFA have to determine what needs to be done, depending on their association’s rules.

“ZIFA should only give an indication of where they want the SRC to help in terms of logistics. So in this case they have to write a report to us and tell us the options that are available and we need to be guided by them not the other way,” said Nheweyembwa.

Nheweyembwa’s sentiments once again expose ZIFA’s failure to have tournament rules and regulations that consider all possibilities including man-made and natural causes.

Instead ZIFA spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela revealed that the association was left in a quandary since this is the first time they had encountered such a scenario in the tournament.

At the time the match was called off because of bad light following a power failure at the National Sports Stadium, Dynamos were leading via a Ronald Chitiyo strike.

But there were still 25 minutes to play for in the final on a muddy National Sports Stadium pitch.

Gwesela said the football mother body and the Sports and Recreation Commission, who are the organisers of the Uhuru Cup, are hoping to meet and come up with a way forward that will be acceptable to all the parties.

But it is most likely that the match will be declared a draw since a replay or playing the remainder of the game would mean more costs.

The tournament was organised this year under a tight budget which was slashed from $37 000 last year to $22 000 this year for the prize monies.

Traditionally, the Independence Cup is free to all supporters since it is part of the programme to celebrate the country’s anniversary and it is against this background that Gwesela said they needed guidance from SRC.

But the Sports Commission have now cleared the air insisting the ball is in ZIFA’s court as the custodians of football in the country.

“ZIFA alone cannot decide on such a sensitive issue, therefore we will wait till after the meeting with the SRC whereupon a binding decision concerning the way forward will surely be established,” Gwesela said.

Gwesela apologised to the supporters and said the abandonment of the match was “a regrettable and unacceptable disruption to an important event on the national calendar.”

“We deeply regret the unexpected disturbance on such a significant day in the history of the country but we accept that such incidents can happen hence we have to move forward by finding the fairest of solutions to the situation at hand.

“We also appeal to the participants, FC Platinum and Dynamos as well as the thousands of supporters who were at the match venue to bear with us for all the inconveniences caused,” said Gwesela. Dynamos had a hand on the Uhuru Cup following a 15th minute goal by Chitiyo who pounced on a miscued clearance by the FC Platinum defence on the muddy pitch.

The match kicked off well after 4pm and the floodlights had to be switched on early in the second half to provide lighting as it was getting dark. However, an unexpected power cut forced the referee to end the match prematurely.