Sports / Soccer
Zifa, players' union headed for a bruising legal battle over Asiagate
02 Feb 2014 at 09:19hrs | Views
The Football Union of Zimbabwe are headed towards a bruising legal battle against the national association on the strength of the Fifa communiqué where Fifa is declining to extend the bans imposed on players and officials for their part in the Asiagate scandal to take worldwide effect. The local players' union believes that the letter from Fifa effectively puts to rest the spectre of Asiagate that has been hanging above his union's members for well over two years. Speaking to The Sunday Mail Sport, FUZ secretary-general Paul Gundani applauded Fifa's decision as it vindicates several players whose careers have been cut short because of the Asiagate Scandal.
He said his union has always maintained that Zifa's handling of the issue contravened standing Fifa statutes and thus all players should not have been sanctioned. "AS FUZ we are happy that Fifa has finally put this issue to rest. We have always maintained that Zifa did not follow Fifa statutes during and after their investigation into the scandal," said Gundani. In the interview, Gundani revealed that FUZ would be serving Zifa with a letter of demand to immediately reimburse the monies paid by the players in fines and appeal fees as well as to compensate banned players for loss of income. "We are writing a letter of demand to Zifa this week to insist that they reimburse the monies that they received when they fined our members. We also expect the association to repay money that was paid for the appeals. "Over and above this, we want Zifa to compensate players like Guthrie Zhokinyu and Edmore Sibanda for loss of income for the time they have spent away from football due to the life bans they received.
"These boys have been unemployed for over a year and Zifa must pay them for these losses in wages," charged Gundani.
He said his union has always maintained that Zifa's handling of the issue contravened standing Fifa statutes and thus all players should not have been sanctioned. "AS FUZ we are happy that Fifa has finally put this issue to rest. We have always maintained that Zifa did not follow Fifa statutes during and after their investigation into the scandal," said Gundani. In the interview, Gundani revealed that FUZ would be serving Zifa with a letter of demand to immediately reimburse the monies paid by the players in fines and appeal fees as well as to compensate banned players for loss of income. "We are writing a letter of demand to Zifa this week to insist that they reimburse the monies that they received when they fined our members. We also expect the association to repay money that was paid for the appeals. "Over and above this, we want Zifa to compensate players like Guthrie Zhokinyu and Edmore Sibanda for loss of income for the time they have spent away from football due to the life bans they received.
"These boys have been unemployed for over a year and Zifa must pay them for these losses in wages," charged Gundani.
Source - Sunday Mail
