Eastern Region title drama plays on
A THREE-MEMBER tribunal — sitting in the name of ZIFA Disciplinary Committee — is tomorrow (Saturday) expected to finally give an ear to parties in the ZIFA Eastern Region Division One League title conflict in Harare.
After Tenax FC lodged a complaint over how Eastern Region Soccer League (ERSL) handed Bikita Minerals’ promotion into the Premier Soccer League, other parties to the conflict — ERSL as well as Bikita Minerals — are expected to give their sides of the story to the disciplinary committee.
The hearing failed to materialise last week on Friday, and now Post Sport understands that the complainants as well as respondents have been invited to have the process get underway in Harare tomorrow.
A source close to the goings-on said: “All the parties involved are now expected to submit their heads of arguments on Saturday after they failed to do so last Friday.
“This is expected to pave way for a fullscale hearing on a matter whose outcome will determine which club gets the nod to be part of the country’s top-flight league.
“ZIFA Eastern Region Soccer League administration and Bikita Minerals are expected to have their sides of the story presented to ZIFA Disciplinary Committee.”
A three-member tribunal – with Vote Muza as chairman – sitting in the name of ZIFA Disciplinary Committee, invited Tenax FC, Bikita Minerals and Eastern Region Soccer League administration for a hearing a fortnight ago.
The hearing was postponed after the disciplinary committee felt the need for all parties involved to be conversant with Tenax FC’s heads of arguments and also respond in writing before a proper hearing can be conducted.
The development has since derailed plans for the Premier Soccer League to start the 2024 season.
Plans were that the 2024 football season will commence with a clash between Dynamos and Ngezi Platinum Stars in the
Castle Challenge Cup at Baobab Stadium on February 24 (tomorrow). Following this, the Premier Soccer League matches were set to kick-off on a week later to avoid season fixtures congestion.
However, the Challenge Cup will now go ahead this weekend and the actual 2024 league matches roll into life next weekend, if the ERSL title conflict is resolved in time.
The inconsistent Normalisation Committee backtracked on its earlier decision to unilaterally endorse Eastern Region board decision to promote Bikita Minerals.
In an earlier interview with Post Sport, Normalisation Committee member, Sikhumbuzo Ndebele confirmed Bikita Minerals as the Eastern Region champions.
Later, the nation woke up to news that Bikita Minerals had to wait a little bit longer to confirm their Premier Soccer League status after ZIFA Normalisation Committee referred the dispute surrounding their promotion to the top-flight to its disciplinary committee.
To that end, the Normalisation Committee put on hold the decision to confirm Bikita Minerals as the 2023 Eastern Region Soccer
League (ERSL) Division One champions.
ERSL, acting on their own understanding of their rules and regulations, had concluded that Bikita had won the championship race after the club won its appeal over their final league match against Grayham, from which they were awarded three points. Those points enabled Bikita to pip Tenax for the pole position.
However, Tenax lodged an appeal via ZIFA, which, through its chief executive officer, Yvonne Manwa, wrote to the ERSL to attend the disciplinary committee hearing.