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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
PLANS are underway to further postpone Saturday’s much-awaited Zifa annual general meeting, with allegations that the financially-crippled association will use that as a pretext.

This will be the second time that Zifa is putting on hold their annual general meeting having failed to hold one at the beginning of March.

Zifa has been dodging calls for an AGM amid reports that members of the executive committee are aware the councillors have been pushing for their expulsion.

Tempers have been boiling among Zifa councillors, irked by Zimbabwe’s ban from the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifiers emanating from a debt owed to coach José Claudinei Georgini — popularly known as Valinhos.

Initially the debt owed to the Brazilian coach stood at $67,000, but ballooned to $81,000 due to legal costs.

Impeccable sources at the national mother-body said they got wind that Zifa chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze is expected to send notices, informing members of the assembly about the cancellation of the AGM.

He said Zifa needs about $40,000 to fund the AGM.

“The congress is composed of 58 delegates —excluding the executive — and a majority of these people need to be transported, accommodated and be given allowances since they’ll be coming from outside Harare. What I’ve heard is that since Zifa is just coming from bankrolling the Young Warriors and senior women in the African Games qualifiers, the association’s coffers are dry. The meeting is highly likely to be postponed until a time when Zifa are financially able to hold an AGM,” said a source.

“The chief (Mashingaidze) will be communicating with members soon.”

The Young Warriors knocked out Cameroon while the women’s side lost to Ghana last week.

Just days after Fifa announced Zimbabwe’s ban from the World Cup qualifiers, councillors drew a petition calling for an extraordinary general meeting.

For the petition to sail through, according to the Zifa constitution, councillors need to have a third of the assembly members appending their signatures. With 58 Zifa members, the petition movers need 20 signatures.

It is believed a majority of the 16 members of the Premier Soccer League, who provide a delegate each, were in support of the petition believed to be spearheaded by disgruntled provincial councillors and some regional football leaders.

The extraordinary meeting was meant to boot out Zifa president Cuthbert Dube, the board and Mashingaidze. Pressure has been mounting for the Zifa board to step down together with Mashingaidze.

Another source said some Zifa executive members who have been shielding Dube and Mashingaidze have been hoodwinked into backing postponement of the AGM.

“It’s common knowledge that some members make a killing by attending these meetings because they get to Harare two or three days before the meeting to strategise. When they’re in Harare, they’re given allowances and to them all will be well.

“Those are the same people who are content with cancellation of the AGM. We need to meet because we’re concerned about the state of our football. We’ve to find a way forward and this meeting has to go on,” said a councillor.

Besides the Valinhos debt which Mashingaidze is accused of handling improperly, suspension or expulsion of members if applicable, the AGM will also address the relegation and promotion matters of the Premiership as well as the regional leagues.

Zifa spokesman Xolisani Gwesela could neither confirm nor deny that the AGM will be postponed.

“We’ll issue a statement tomorrow,” he said.

Zifa assembly members

For the 16 clubs of the Premier Soccer League (1 delegate each), Northern Region Division One (four delegates), Southern Region Division One (four delegates), Eastern Region Division One (four delegates), Central Region Division One (four delegates), Bulawayo Provincial League ( one delegate), Harare Provincial League (one delegate), Manicaland Provincial League (one delegate), Mashonaland Central Provincial League (one delegate), Mashonaland East Provincial League (one delegate), Mashonaland West Provincial League (one delegate), Masvingo Provincial league (one delegate), Matabeleland South Provincial League (one delegate), Matabeleland North Provincial League (one delegate), Midlands Provincial League (one delegate), Four Area Zones (one delegate each), Naph (two delegates), Nash (two delegates), National Association of Tertiary Institutions (two delegates), Zimbabwe Women Soccer (four delegates), beach football (one delegate), Futsal football (one delegate).