MUTARE-The ZIFA Eastern Region Soccer League vice chairman, Wisdom Simba has told The Midweek Watch that they conducted a hearing on the complaint brought to the board by Bikita Minerals FC against Grayham FC yesterday in Mutare.
Simba said the two parties made their submissions and the board will make their verdict public after communicating with the clubs concerned.
“We have finished the deliberations and we will hold a press conference in the next three days or so after having communicated the verdict with clubs concerned,” said Simba.
Bikita Minerals had raised a red flag over the use of an ineligible player in their final game against Grayham which they drew one all and were pipped to the championship by then third placed Tenax FC who thumped JM Busha FC 6-1 to claim the only slot into the Premiership with 59 points.
In a letter written to the ZIFA ERSL board, Bikita Minerals FC alleged that Grayham FC used Munyaradzi Machipisa’s ZIFA ID on Calvin Tinashe Chiwere, a Melfort FC player.
Grayham argued that Chiwere had left Melfort and was registered under their team with ZIFA but the papers were taking long to be processed due to circumstances beyond their control
Bikita Minerals were praying for Grayham to be punished and the game be awarded to them for using an ineligible player.
Section 13.1 says, “If a player and or players are fielded in a match despite being ineligible, the team to which the player and or players belong will be sanctioned by forfeiting the match and paying the stipulated fine. The player and or players may also be sanctioned.
a.The points are not awarded to the opposition if the and or players considered to be ineligible are identified during and or after the match.
b. The points are awarded to the opposition if the player and or players are identified during inspection and the team insists that the player and or players are eligible”.
Before the match, Bikita captain, Hillary Jeke pointed out that the so called Machipisa was actually Chiwere and they once played together at Melfort. A picture of the referee, Willard Nyamande and the player in question was taken as evidence and this will be used during a hearing slated for this Saturday at Golden Peacock Hotel in Mutare.
The match commissioner for the Grayham vs Bikita game which was played at Chiremba Grounds was Fabion Ngorima.
Ngorima allowed the game to be played under protest and the matter would be dealt with by the board.
The game was also played before board members, Patient Dube and Mollen Makumbe.
Tenax were crowned ZIFA ERSL champions with 59 points followed by Bikita on 58 and FC Wangu Mazodze on third position had 57 points.
Simba said there were a lot of papers that they had to go through which were submitted by Grayham in defence of their action hence the delay in coming up with a final verdict.
