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Zifa president Philip Chiyangwa

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
ALL eyes will this afternoon be on the “special committee” mandated  to resolve  the Premier Soccer League relegation and promotion impasse which has been dragging on since October.

The “special committee” made up of members from both Zifa and the PSL’s emergency committee meets today in the capital.

Zifa president Phillip Chiyangwa told our sister paper The Sunday Mail that his executive had agreed with the PSL to appoint a special committee which will break the deadlock that threatens the existence of topflight football.

“The Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) Executive Commitee met on Saturday (26 November 2016) and  resolved the play offs issue with  a committee headed by Executive Committee Member responsible for  competitions, Piraishe Mabhena tasked to handle the contested matter.  The Committee is comprised of Zifa  regional presidents  and PSL Emergency Committee members Kenny Mubaiwa, Advocate Lewis Uriri (whose suspension has been lifted) , Lifa Ncube and Lovemore Matikinyidze,” read the statement signed by Chiyangwa.

Relations between Zifa and their flagship affiliate broke down on October 29 following the move by the association’s congress to reverse a decision to demote two teams from the Premiership and promote as many sides from the regional Division One Leagues via the promotional play-offs.
Zifa have been adamant that four teams must be demoted at the end of the PSL season and want  the regional  Division One champions to gain automatic promotion while the top-flight have resisted the stance, insisting that the October 29 Zifa assembly resolution was constitutionally flawed.

Because of the impasse, winners of the four first divisions, Bantu Rovers of Southern Region, Central Region champions Shabanie Mine, Black Rhinos from Northern Region and Yadah from the Eastern Region are in the dark as to which league they belong to.

The PSL has even approached the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in their bid to get their voices heard by an independent body.

The league feels that Zifa cannot be trusted on handling this matter and insist that without playoffs – which they are prepared to organise at their own cost – then the status quo remains, meaning that the PSL will not relegate any team.

The Zifa/PSL promotional deadlock is even threatening the topflight league’s sponsorship, with sources saying Delta Beverages who have been backing the league saying they will only make a commitment to continue their partnership with the league once the matter has been resolved.

At the beginning of the week the PSL’s executive committee spokesman Uriri said increasing number of teams to 18 has serious ramifications on the league which was at advanced stages of contract negotiations.

He said the league was already negotiating for knockout tournaments with 16-teams in mind.

“The PSL position is clear, we understand there is a move towards compromise that two teams will go down and four coming in. The position of the league is that two teams up two teams down and if that’s not the case we don’t play.

“Please note that the PSL is committed to having the matter resolved and have presented six points which have to be addressed to have this issue resolved. How do you  deal with tournaments like the Chibuku Super Cup? How do you decide which 16 teams to participate? Should we agree that teams that are being promoted in the event that’s the case play their own play-off to determine to competes in the 16-team tournament. With negotiations pinned on 16 teams, then how do you share the cake,” Uriri said.

With the Minister of Sports and Recreation Makhosini Hlongwane tearing into the impasse, it remains to be seen if both parties will be moved by his statement and make a decision that will make football the winner.

— @ZililoR