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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIFA Southern Region board met at the weekend and resolved to co-opt an individual to replace Bryton Malandule, who is now in the national association’s national executive committee.

Malandule, a former topflight referee, was voted into the Zifa national board in December, leaving a vacancy in the Southern Region structure.

Zifa Southern Region board members agreed that wide consultations will be made before settling for the person to replace Malandule, who held the finance portfolio.

Mehluli Thebe, the Zifa Southern Region board’s spokesperson said: “The board spoke about looking for someone to fill the vacancy left by Malandule and agreed that wide consultations will be made before we can co-opt. We will announce the person co-opted into the board after our annual general meeting. Maybe clubs will suggest someone.”

Zifa Southern Region board members chairman Andrew Tapela, his deputy Gaylord Madunguza, Fiso Siziba, Tizirayi Luphahla and Thebe met at the weekend to plan for the upcoming AGM.

The region had announced last month that its AGM would be held on February 23, but could postpone it to give clubs more time to affiliate.

The AGM will give the region an informed insight into the number of teams that will compete in the Southern Region Division One League.

“The board meeting was in preparation for the regional AGM as well as the national general meeting to be held on March 23. There is also a possibility that we may shift the regional AGM because the chairman is going away on business tomorrow and returns on February 23. We might move it by a week to March 2 and that is subject to confirmation of the chairman’s trip.

“We also discussed how many teams we will have because only Zim Leopards have officially communicated that they are unable to be part of the First Division. We are also hearing from the corridors that some teams are crumbling, but since there’s nothing official from any of the said collapsing teams, we take it that they are with us and our hope is that they affiliate on time,” said Thebe.

Besides Zim Leopards, another club whose future remains uncertain is Pumula East-based Toronto, which sent an SOS for financial assistance to affiliate and cover matchday related costs.

Last week Zifa Southern Region held a club licensing workshop, which drew only six First Division teams, Bulawayo City, ZPC Hwange, Makomo, Talen Vision, Indlovu Iyanyathela and Ajax Hotspurs.

Affiliation fees for newly promoted clubs is $2 500, while old teams pay $2 000.

These fees exclude players and technical team members’ registration.

The registration for each player is $20, which translates to $500 for a squad of 25 players and $250 for a five-member technical team.

The four newly promoted teams hoping to make a mark in the First Division are Ajax Hotspurs and Arenel from Bulawayo as well as Nengasha Stars and Binga Pirates from Matabeleland North.

Other clubs expected to make the league are Tsholotsho, armyside Moto Moto, CIWU, Bosso 90, Casmyn, Mosi Rovers and Mainline FC of Plumtree.

– @ZililoR.