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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE Southern Region Division One League championship race could be headed for turmoil following the Zifa Southern Region’s proposal to forfeit points from teams that owe affiliation fees.

Zifa Southern Region gave eight teams, ZRP Bulawayo, Ntabazinduna, ZRP Hwange, Hwange Juniors, Victoria Falls Tigers, Black Boots, Technosphere and Bosso 90 up to the end of yesterday to clear their outstanding affiliation fees or lose three points on 3-0 score lines for their weekend games.

Bryton Malandule, Zifa Southern Region board member responsible for finance, said the teams would be allowed to fulfil their fixtures if they pay or submit acceptable payment plans for the outstanding fees.

“The teams that won’t be allowed to play unless they pay part of the outstanding affiliation fees are those that owe in excess of $1 500.

“If they miss three consecutive weeks because of failure to pay affiliation fees, these teams will be chucked out of the league.

“Financial ability is a key aspect of running a club according to Fifa Club Licensing and if these clubs are failing to meet their financial obligations then they don’t deserve to be in the league,” said Malandule.

He said some of the teams have also been failing to pay match officials’ fees.

First Division affiliation fees are pegged at $2 500 for old teams with new clubs paying $3 000.

Bosso 90 have since paid their affiliation fees and will face championship contenders Amagagasi in Victoria Falls on Sunday.

The danger posed by barring teams owing affiliation fees from playing is that it would give an unfair advantage to some teams in the championship race.

League leaders Bantu Rovers, Bulawayo Chiefs and Amagagasi are vying for the title and are yet to play teams that haven’t paid affiliation in reverse fixtures.

If Zifa suspends teams that are owing, it means that Rovers, who are sitting at the top of the table with 47 points from 21 matches, will get 12 ‘free’ points in their remaining nine games for fixtures against Ntabazinduna, Technosphere, Victoria Falls Tigers and Black Boots.

Rovers will only play Indlovu Iyanyathela tomorrow, Bosso 90, Makomo and ZPC Hwange.

Bulawayo Chiefs will gain 15 ‘free’ points, meaning they will close the three-point gap and go level on points with Rovers, leaving the title to be decided on goal difference in the event that both teams win all their remaining games.

Chiefs’ opponents that face expulsion for failing to pay outstanding affiliation fees are ZRP Bulawayo, Technosphere, Victoria Falls Tigers, Black Boots and Ntabazinduna.

Chiefs’ other opponents from their remaining nine fixtures are Makomo, ZPC Hwange, Amagagasi and Bosso 90.

Third on the table Amagagasi, who are tied on 44 points with Chiefs, will benefit the least.

Amagagasi can only receive nine “free” points for matches against ZRP Bulawayo, ZRP Hwange and Hwange Juniors. The ambitious Victoria Falls club’s other matches are against Bosso 90, Casmyn, Talen Vision, Chiefs, Indlovu Iyanyathela and Rovers.

Fixtures

Tomorrow: Casmyn v Talen Vision (Turk Mine), ZRP Bulawayo Province v Bulawayo Chiefs (cancelled), Bantu Rovers v Indlovu Iyanyathela (Luveve), ZPC Hwange v Ntabazinduna (cancelled), ZRP Hwange v Hwange Juniors (cancelled), Makomo v Victoria Falls Tigers (cancelled)

Sunday: Black Boots v Technosphere (cancelled),         Amagagasi v Bosso 90 (Victoria Falls)

Table

P    W    D    L    F    A    GD    Pts

Bantu Rovers     21    15    2    4    40    9    31    47

Bulawayo Chiefs     21    13    5    3    30    11    19    44

Amagagasi     21    13    5    3    25    8    17    44

ZPC Hwange     21    10    9    2    20    12    8    39

Talen Vision     21    8    5    8    21    24    -3    29

Technosphere     21    8    8    5    11    15    -4    29

ZRP Bulawayo     20    7    7    6    17    14    3    28

Victoria Falls Tigers     21    8    4    9    18    19    -1    28

Bosso90     21    7    6    8    25    22    3    27

Black Boots     21    6    8    7    23    19    4    26

Casmyn     21    4    9    8    17    19    -2    21

Indlovu Iyanyathela     21    6    3    12    14    25    -11    21

Ntabazinduna     21    4    9    8    11    24    -13    21

Makomo     21    4    8    9    9    16    -7    20

Hwange Juniors     21    3    8    9    8    21    -13    18

ZRP Hwange     20    2    3    15    11    42    -31    9

***Cancelled pending payment of outstanding affiliation fees— @ZililoR.