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Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
INCUMBENTS Philip Chiyangwa and Omega Sibanda have virtually been retained as ZIFA president and vice-president after their respective challengers Felton Kamambo and Gift Banda reportedly failed the integrity tests yesterday.

It emerged after a meeting of the ZIFA Electoral Committee to vet the eligibility of all the prospective candidates that former board members Kamambo and Banda had been disqualified.

ZIFA electoral committee chairman Vusilizwe Vuma announced the names of the successful candidates in a brief statement at the end of their integrity checks in Harare yesterday.

But Kamambo and Banda’s names were conspicuous by their absence from the list of the successful candidates.

The pair of Ishmael Chibvure and Mlungisi Moyo who were seeking places on the ZIFA board also fell by their wayside after found on the wrong side of the electoral code.

According to the list that Vuma released six candidates who include incumbent board member finance Philemon Machana, businessman Chamu Chiwanza, public relations executive Sugar Chagonda, former referee Brighton Malandule, broadcaster Barry Manandi and Central Region boss Stanley Chapeta, will now battle for the four board member positions.

“The Zimbabwe Football Association electoral committee met on 2 November 2018 to verify credentials of candidates who submitted nomination forms for positions in the executive committee.

“The following candidates were successfully nominated to stand in the elections slated for December 1, 2018,’’ wrote Vuma before listing the names of the candidates.

Vuma also said reasons for the disqualifications had been communicated directly to the affected parties.

Although there was also disqualification of the little known pair of Chibvure and Moyo it is the failure to make the final list of the duo of Kamambo and Banda that somewhat torched a storm around the electoral process, with their campaign teams and their camps crying foul. It was, however, not immediately clear last night whether the cries of foul play on the aspiring presidential and vice-president candidates would translate into appeals by the pair.

Although Vuma was tight-lipped on the reasons, it also emerged from the letters sent to the affected –