Sports / Local
Sundowns lose relegation case
16 Sep 2011 at 05:25hrs | Views
A ZIFA disciplinary committee has dismissed the case in which former Premier Soccer League side Njube Sundowns were challenging their relegation from the elite league at the end of the 2009 season.
Sundowns finished the season on 13th position and had to take part in the relegation play-off against three division one clubs which, were fighting for promotion.
Police side Black Mambas won the promotion to the league, ending a 17-year wait in the wilderness, while Sundowns finished the mini-league with five points.
Mambas won with seven points while Masvingo United had four and Quelaton failed to get a point from the matches played at Baghdad and Torwood at the end of the 2009 season.
Sundowns even failed to play in Division One in the 2010 season and have since sold their franchise to Big Eleven of Luveve while most of their personnel found a home at Premiership side Chicken Inn.
It was Sundowns' argument, through their director Gift Banda, that their match against Masvingo United, which ended in 0-0, had been improperly handled after their opponents arrived late.
Sundowns lodged their papers in 2010 to Zifa who then set up a three-member committee chaired by Dominic Muzawazi, Cornelius Bganya and Mandevere Marufu.
Sundowns failed to attend the hearing set for August 18, 2011, but made written submissions through Banda that the rules of the competition were breached by allowing Masvingo United to play the match even after they delayed the kick-off by one and half hours.
However, Zifa argued through Saidi Sangula, that the play-offs were governed by the competition's rules and regulations that had been agreed to by all participating teams.
The teams had agreed to allow Masvingo United to play despite the delay.
The Zifa Committee also pointed out that Njube Sundowns failed to pay affiliation fees for the play-offs.
In a judgment passed on September 8, 2011, the Zifa committee dismissed Sundowns complaint.
"It is further our ruling that the issue is not about the delay in hearing of the matter by Zifa but whether or not the initial complaint made by Njube Sundowns FC in 2010 had merit.
"We find that the complaint made lacked merit and we rule in the finality that it must be dismissed.
"In the result, the complaint by Njube Sundowns FC is dismissed on the aforementioned grounds," read part of the judgment.
Sundowns finished the season on 13th position and had to take part in the relegation play-off against three division one clubs which, were fighting for promotion.
Police side Black Mambas won the promotion to the league, ending a 17-year wait in the wilderness, while Sundowns finished the mini-league with five points.
Mambas won with seven points while Masvingo United had four and Quelaton failed to get a point from the matches played at Baghdad and Torwood at the end of the 2009 season.
Sundowns even failed to play in Division One in the 2010 season and have since sold their franchise to Big Eleven of Luveve while most of their personnel found a home at Premiership side Chicken Inn.
It was Sundowns' argument, through their director Gift Banda, that their match against Masvingo United, which ended in 0-0, had been improperly handled after their opponents arrived late.
Sundowns lodged their papers in 2010 to Zifa who then set up a three-member committee chaired by Dominic Muzawazi, Cornelius Bganya and Mandevere Marufu.
Sundowns failed to attend the hearing set for August 18, 2011, but made written submissions through Banda that the rules of the competition were breached by allowing Masvingo United to play the match even after they delayed the kick-off by one and half hours.
However, Zifa argued through Saidi Sangula, that the play-offs were governed by the competition's rules and regulations that had been agreed to by all participating teams.
The teams had agreed to allow Masvingo United to play despite the delay.
The Zifa Committee also pointed out that Njube Sundowns failed to pay affiliation fees for the play-offs.
In a judgment passed on September 8, 2011, the Zifa committee dismissed Sundowns complaint.
"It is further our ruling that the issue is not about the delay in hearing of the matter by Zifa but whether or not the initial complaint made by Njube Sundowns FC in 2010 had merit.
"We find that the complaint made lacked merit and we rule in the finality that it must be dismissed.
"In the result, the complaint by Njube Sundowns FC is dismissed on the aforementioned grounds," read part of the judgment.
Source - TH
