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Dennis Tshuma

Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
PROBLEMS bedevelling Zifa have cascaded to provinces with Matabeleland South being hard-hit as they are struggling to raise clubs for the 2015 season. Making a passionate plea to the business community, Nkosi Ncube, the Zifa Matabeleland South provincial chairman, said potential sponsors were turning their back on bankrolling football.

“The bad publicity that football has attracted at national level has made us feel the pinch. As it is we don’t have teams registered for the Division Two Soccer League which is supposed to kick off during the second weekend of April. Everywhere we knock in a bid to get partners we are being told by companies that they can’t assist us because of what is happening nationally,” Ncube said.

“We are appealing to companies to help the clubs as part of their social corporate responsibility programmes by catering at least for their affiliation fees. Football stakeholders must understand that it is soccer played at grassroots level that needs to be developed if we are to keep producing stars.”

Affiliation fees for the Zifa Matabeleland South League are pegged at $350 and are cheaper compared to Bulawayo Metropolitan and Matabeleland North Provinces. Bulawayo clubs are parting with $600 while their Matabeleland North counterparts pay $500.

Zifa Matabeleland South Province has two Division Two pools with Group A catering for clubs around Gwanda, Filabusi and Esigodini.

The other pool is made up of teams from Beitbridge and last season they had 10 clubs. FC Maranda were crowned champions but they might not play in the First Division if they fail to raise sponsorship.

Ncube said should they fail to raise a sizeable number, they are likely to have a league with the least number of teams.

“At the end of the day football has to be played and we are praying that we get at least eight clubs so that we get the games rolling.”

The Zifa Bulawayo Metropolitan Province intends to kick off its league on April 11 and has appealed to clubs to pay at least half of their affiliation fees — $300 — by Saturday.

In Matabeleland North, their chairman Dennis Tshuma said most clubs have made a commitment to pay their affiliation fees.

“The only club that we expelled is Corinthians of Victoria Falls because they were owing a substantial amount of money. They didn’t pay some referees’ allowances last season and have affiliation fee debts. Otherwise we are all set for the 2015 season,” said Tshuma.