Cosafa boss slams Ncobo
ZIFA and COSAFA president Philip Chiyangwa has dismissed statements by former South African referee Ace Ncobo that he falsely presented him as a FIFA representative when he went to resolve the impasse which had sucked in SAFA president Danny Jordaan.
Ncobo told the South African media this week Chiyangwa had misrepresented himself as a FIFA delegate when he met the two warring parties in Johannesburg and thrashed out a deal.
However, Chiyangwa said Ncobo’s statements were ill-informed.
“We are dismayed by the statements made yesterday and previously by Mr Ace Ncobo regarding the role of the president of COSAFA, Dr Philip Chiyangwa, with regards his mediation efforts within the South African Football Association,’’ a statement on the COSAFA website read.
“Mr Ncobo’s statements are inaccurate and ill-informed, and show a lack of understanding of regional football structures.
“Dr Chiyangwa, as the president of the Zonal Union, is the chief representative of CAF and FIFA as regards zonal matters and it was in this capacity that the president was requested by FIFA to mediate in the SAFA presidency matter. I treat with the contempt they deserve the statements made over the past weeks by Mr Ncobo. COSAFA is a legal entity and will not stand for this unfounded and uninformed criticism and allegations. Mr Ncobo is advised to desist.’’
As a follow-up to that meeting, FIFA have since sent director of African and Caribbean Member Associations, Veron Mosengo-Omba, to deal with the SAFA issue.
“We are happy with the progress we’ve made, we are not where we were when we started. The cancellation of the congress on March 24 was a major victory for this corrective campaign,” said Ncobo as he provided an update on his campaign to overthrow the current SAFA leadership on Wednesday.
“The fact that FIFA sent Veron from the president’s office to come and take charge of what needs to happen around the elections is another major victory.
“FIFA came, not that maverick from Zimbabwe, who lied and said he was sent by FIFA. By the way, as soon as I received a call from Sue Destombes — the general secretary of COSAFA, saying Chiyangwa is coming and has been sent by FIFA, I dropped the phone and asked her for written correspondence from FIFA.
“At the same time, I sent an email to the general secretary of FIFA to say, ‘There’s a Philip Chiyangwa here, who purports to have been sent by FIFA to come and mediate. Are you aware of that?’
“So, when I went to that meeting [on March 14], I knew Chiyangwa had not been sent by FIFA, but I needed that meeting because it was going to produce an agreement; a signature.”
Ncobo further explained that the agreement between himself and Jordaan remains valid.
“The agreement we signed is not an agreement with Chiyangwa, it is an agreement with Danny Jordaan as the SAFA president,” added Ncobo.
“That agreement has got nothing to do with who mediated or chaired the meeting. It is an agreement based on facts, which contains the list of violations [by the SAFA leadership].
“Whether or not Dr Philip Chiyangwa was sent by FIFA is irrelevant to the legal standing of that agreement.”
Last month, Ncobo released a statement paying tribute to Chiyangwa.
“On behalf of all those who have been fighting hard to defend the Statutes and the Electoral Code, I wish to thank FIFA for having swiftly responded by sending the COSAFA president to assist in reaching this agreement,’’ he said in a statement.
He then proceeded to post the following statement on Twitter:
“And please, don’t worry yourself about whether or not he (Chiyangwa) was sent (by FIFA). He helped me clinch the signature of the mad man (Jordaan). Admission of guilt,” tweeted Ncobo.
“Fooled? Not at all. And I know you would not say so if you saw the agreement in my hand! Trust me on this bro (brother). And you’re an ally!”