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Sports Reporters
ZIFA aspiring candidate Trevor Carelse-Juul’s camp will have to wait until Friday to know their fate after submitting their nomination forms again yesterday to the ZIFA Electoral Committee.

The South Africa-based businessman had his papers rejected on Saturday when the Committee, during the vetting process in Harare, ordered him to provide information proving that he has been resident in Zimbabwe for the past five years.

They also asked for his fingerprints and a police clearance addressed to the ZIFA Electoral Committee to be handed in by yesterday.

His agent, Stanley Makombe, yesterday confirmed that they had submitted the nomination papers with the requested information and was optimistic that all will go well.

“Yes we did submit the papers. It’s not like we were going to appear before the Committee. We just submitted them so they will then meet and look at the papers.

“According to them, they will sit on the 13th of November and obviously they will communicate to us on our submission.

“Of course we are optimistic because at law there is nothing that has changed from when Carelse-Juul stood for elections (2014) because he was approved by the same committee using the same law, so there is nothing that has changed.

“Trevor is just focused on that once he is confirmed he will start campaigning, win and transform football in Zimbabwe,” said Makombe.

Makombe said if one is a citizen of the country by birth, the issue of residency is out of question.

ZIFA chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze yesterday confirmed the submission of the papers but said they had not received Carelse-Juul’s passport that had been requested by the Electoral Committee before adding that the Committee will sit on Friday to decide on the aspiring candidate’s fate.

Carelse-Juul is vying for the ZIFA presidency with Leslie Gwindi, Harare businessman Phillip Chiyangwa and former Warriors right-back James Takavada.

Meanwhile, the withdrawal of seasoned administrator Elkanah Dube, who was vying for the post of ZIFA vice-presidency on the polls scheduled for December 5, citing that he does not have the support of the Southern Region where he hails from has been met with mixed responses from some of the councillors.

This leaves only former ZIFA vice-president Omega Sibanda and ex-Dynamos player Lincoln Mutasa to battle it out in the race for the second powerful position at ZIFA.

Dube, a former chief executive of the African Union Sports Council Region Five Under-20 Games which were held in Bulawayo last year in December as well as Hillside Teachers College Principal, withdrew his candidature on Monday thereby losing the US$1 500 he had paid when he filed his papers last Thursday.

However, what has become the talking point is how the former Highlanders vice-chairman had a change of heart three days after he had just filed his papers with the Electoral Committee last Thursday and his name sailed through on Saturday.

And some ZIFA councillors, who appear to have been in Dube’s corner, said they don’t understand how the Highlanders board member, who entered the race fully aware of the other candidates, chose to chicken out after he has been confirmed.

Dube, in his withdrawal letter submitted to ZIFA on Monday, said he doesn’t have the support of the councillors from his region.

“The incipient stages of my campaign have clearly revealed that as a candidate, I don’t command any backing from the Southern Region councillors in my constituency. Admittedly, this would create administrative challenges for both myself and the councillors if I were to win in the elections.

“Consequently, I reckon it is prudent for me to withdraw from the race and lend my support to presidential, vice-president and board candidates that have the backing of Southern Region councillors.

“This way the rift between me and the Southern Region is mended, paving the way for a positive relationship for future purposes,” wrote Dube in the letter which was published by our sister paper Chronicle.

Yesterday, Electoral Committee vice-chairperson Tendai Madzorera confirmed that Dube has withdrawn his candidature.

“So I heard. He just withdrew his candidature and said he needed support but wasn’t getting it. Three members signed for his nomination papers last week.

“We don’t question why you are withdrawing and the money which was paid is not refundable,” said Madzorera.