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Sports Reporter
THE Footballers’ Union of Zimbabwe (Fuz) yesterday challenged Zifa and the Premier Soccer League to impose heavy fines on reckless players following a crude tackle on ZPC Kariba’s striker Raphael Manuvire by Chapungu’s Blessed Mbavaira on Saturday. The power generators won the game 1-0 courtesy of a strike by Limited Chikafa taking their unbeaten run to 11 matches but it was the horror tackle on Manuvire that drew emotions of his coach Saul Chaminuka who broke into tears after the incident.

Paul Gundani, the Footballers Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general, said though soccer is a contact sport, players must uphold the spirit of fair play and avoid clumsy tackles which could end one’s career.

He said they are going to write to both Zifa and PSL asking them to act on horrendous acts on the field of play.
“It is very necessary for the football association, the PSL and ourselves as representatives of players to sit down and come up with charges for footballers that are bent on ending their peers’ careers. Football is an industry and those that are reckless in their work conduct such as those inflicting career ending injuries must be given stiff penalties to discourage other players from doing so.

“We have seen in England the FA coming down hard on players that do not practise fair play and the same must be done here,” said Gundani.
Many players have over the years had their promising careers coming to an abrupt end due to rough challenges.

Meanwhile, repeated efforts to get comment from ZPC Kariba’s coach Chaminuka and team manager Patson Ndabambi were fruitless as their mobile phones were unreachable.