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The Tim Sangarwe-led Zifa Appeals committee is this afternoon expected to hand down judgment on Hardbody’s appeal after receiving all the papers sought to clear the case.
Barring any further appeal, today’s verdict is expected to confirm the championship winner in the Central Region Division One League, almost two months after on-field action came to a close. Anxiety has been building up with each passing   day.

Sangarwe and colleagues will certainly not  have the best of the festive season as they are expected to hear two more appeal cases this morning with Hardbody duo of Raymond Mugandani and Takesure Sibanda fighting their conviction.
The Hardbody duo appealed against fines imposed on them by the Reginald Chidawanyika-chaired Zifa Central Region Disciplinary Committee.

While many football pundits are already on the festive break, communities in Beitbridge and Gweru  are anxiously awaiting today’s verdict which will determine which way the sole Premiership ticket will go.
In the event of another appeal, it means the championship race between Hardbody and Tripple B will spill into 2012.
Any appeal against today’s verdict will make the case the second longest dragging case after the Quelaton-Zimbabwe Saints in 2009 which was only settled in March 2010.

Sangarwe early this week said the verdict is expected today.
“Because Thursday is a holiday the verdict can now be expected on Friday,” Sangarwe was quoted in the media. Having received the rules and regulations from the Zifa Central office, Sangarwe and his committee will have no excuses to further delay announcing the verdict which was initially set for last Friday.

On Monday, the committee once again failed to announce the verdict raising speculation that some key papers were missing.
The case has met its own landmines on its way with Tripple B first objecting to Ralph Maganga’s involvement citing existing relationship with Sibanda.

Just on Monday, Hardbody protested over the involvement of lawyer Misheck Hogwe as Tripple B’s defence lawyer because he also sits in the Zifa Northern Region Disciplinary Committee.

Busmen chairman Patrick Chikwanda wrote to Zifa CEO Jonathan Mashingaidze citing conflict of interest on Hogwe’s part.