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Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor

THE domestic Premiership clubs lost an estimated US$100 000, including suffering serious damage to their relationship with sponsors, in the madness of the politics which led to the cancellation of midweek league matches.

Some members of the ousted ZIFA board, irked by the decision by the Sports Commission to dissolve their leadership, are believed to have ordered referees not to take charge of the league matches.

The decision is believed to have been taken by three members of the ousted board, including Bryton Malandule, who was the ZIFA Referees Committee chairman, at a meeting held in Harare, on Tuesday.

The indaba was held shortly after the Sports Commission advised the board that they had been dissolved, and a caretaker committee will be announced soon to replace them, at the helm of local football.

ZIFA have absolute control of the referees and many match officials, including those who had logged in for warm-up at their respective assignments, were ordered not to take charge of the matches.

It led to a breakdown of the domestic Premiership, which is only returning into action after two years of inactivity, with matches scheduled for Tuesday, yesterday and today, being called off.

The decision to paralyse the top-flight league has divided the ousted ZIFA board, with some members questioning the logic behind the move, and unhappy they were not consulted. It also pushed Farai Jere, who used to sit on the ousted ZIFA board on the basis of his leadership of the domestic Premiership, into a very tight corner, with his constituency unhappy their matches fell victim to the boardroom battles.

In the event the impasse persists, until the weekend, when the Chibuku Super Cup semi-finals are set to be held, sources revealed yesterday, the league’s flagship sponsors, Delta Beverages, could be forced to review their relationship with the PSL.

“The collateral damage this could inflict, on domestic football, is just too ghastly to contemplate and those who decided to use the referees as pawns, in these wars, probably didn’t take time to consider all that,’’ the sources said.

“This attitude, which is tantamount to saying there will not be any football, if we are not part of its leadership, is very dangerous because this game has huge stakeholders, like sponsors and fans, who are not part of these wars.

“Local football is not affected by the politics and even when we were thrown out of FIFA, during the days of Rhodesia, the local league was being played and that’s where we used to see the likes of George Shaya producing their magic.

“It’s the same with South Africa, which was isolated from international football in the Sixtees, but league football continued to be played in that country, where the likes of Jomo Sono became legends.

“South Africa were only re-admitted into FIFA in 1992 and four years later they were champions of Africa and in 1998 they featured at the World Cup.

“Their story gives us an important reminder of the importance of local football, which is never tampered with, even in the worst case scenario, and that’s why the events of Tuesday, when referees were ordered not to take charge of league matches, are quite a huge disappointment.’’

There is also the big issue of the huge costs, which the sponsors and clubs incurred, when the matches were abruptly called off, which also have to be factored into.

Dynamos, the country’s biggest and most successful football club, had made the long trip to the Lowveld, for a scheduled date against Triangle, at Gibbo, on Tuesday.

The Glamour Boys left Harare on Monday and were set to spend two nights, in the Lowveld, before their return to the capital, yesterday. It was the first road trip for Dynamos, on league assignment, in two years.

Their last trip had come in December 2019, when they ironically visited the Lowveld, for their final league match of the season, at Gibbo, which the hosts won 1-0.

“I think if you factor in the costs of whole trip, including accommodation and allowances, you are looking at something closer to US$8000, at least, and about US$10 000, at most,’’ said a source familiar with such travel.

“That’s a considerable sum, even for a giant like Dynamos, and it will be worth the while, for instance, if they get a chance to do what they went there for.

“It becomes a waste when they are told, moments before the match, that they cannot fulfill the match simply because some people decided to drag referees into their wars.

“Now, the tricky part is Dynamos will have to travel to Triangle again, to fulfill this match which was never played and the question is, who will foot their expenses for that?

“Is it those who hid in the shadows, and called the shots, or the league itself, which then has an obligation to their sponsors to ensure that the whole championship is held, without any disruptions?’’

The Glamour Boys were not alone, in terms of making the long trip, with Ngezi Platinum arriving in Bulawayo on Monday, for a scheduled battle against Highlanders, the following day, which was also called off.

The Mhodoro side were only set to leave the City of Kings yesterday.

“You are looking at about US$8 000 to US$10 000, too, in terms of accommodation and other related expenses and that is big,’’ sources said.

“You also have to factor in the cost of the PCR Covid tests and, more importantly, the signal that all this commotion will probably send to the management at Ngezi Platinum Mine, who have invested so much in the team, including refurbishing the stadium.

“Surely, there will be some people, within that management, who will probably question whether all this confusion is worth their involvement and that is a bigger threat, to local football, than the costs they incurred during this trip.

“Now, bring in the guys at FC Platinum, Chicken Inn, Sakunda Holdings, who have invested a fortune just to see local football being played, and imagine the disaster, if they all reconsider their relationship with the game, over disruption brought by barring referees from officiating in the matches.’’