Bulawayo Chiefs threatens to pull out of league

BULAWAYO Chiefs have threatened to pull out of the Zifa Southern Region Division One League over the chaotic fixtures list that will see them playing seven matches away in their last nine games of the season.

What has irked Chiefs is that they will play five consecutive away matches leading to the homestretch due to the Zifa Southern Region's bungling.

According to re-arranged fixtures released to the club on Wednesday, Chiefs' five consecutive matches will come at a crucial stage of the championship race between Week 22 and Week 26.

During that period, Chiefs play ZRP Bulawayo on Week 22, Technosphere in Hwange, followed by a trip to Victoria Falls Tigers and then Hwange for a date with Makomo.

Chiefs will complete the five-consecutive away weekends against Black Boots on Week 26.

The other two away matches from their last nine games of the season will be on Week 28 against Amagagasi in Victoria Falls and Ntabazinduna on Week 30.

Chiefs' director Lovemore Sibanda said Zifa ignored their concerns when a draft fixture was sent to clubs and suspects foul play on how the final games of the season are structured.

"If you look closely at the final fixture, we are the only ones who are affected. I know there is a time where you play two consecutive away matches or home games in either halves of the season, but to play five successive away games surely is wrong. We spoke to them last week about the anomaly and they said they'll fix it, but nothing was done. If they want another team to be promoted they should just say so and we pull out. What we're demanding is a level playing field because we use a lot of money trying to develop the game and to get such treatment is not fair," said Sibanda.

Chiefs play Black Boots tomorrow and according to the Southern Region calendar, their next opponents are Makomo away, whom they played on Week One and beat 2-1. This is another boob by the Southern Region fixtures desk because this means Chiefs may play other teams twice before reaching halfway to the season.

Chiefs are also scheduled to take on Technosphere away on Week Eight, a team they beat 3-0 on Week Three at White City Stadium.
Zifa Southern Region board member responsible for fixtures Jabulani Chinyangarara blamed the fixtures' shambles on Quelaton and Trumus' expulsion from the league.

"We had to redo the fixture because the Quelaton and Trumus issue. I think we spoke to Chiefs about that and said we're going to make a plan about that problem. By the time that we go for Week 23 you may discover that the match against Technosphere would have been played in the first half of the season," said Chinyangara.

Asked if bringing forward a second half of the season fixture forward proves that they have a clumsy league, Chinyangarara said: "We're only trying to correct the situation."

Fixtures
Tomorrow: ZRP Bulawayo Province v Technosphere (Fairbridge), Indlovu Iyanyathela v Makomo (Brad Barracks),Talen Vision v ZPC Hwange (Raylton), ZRP Hwange v Bosso 90 (Hwange Old Stadium), Casmyn v Ntabazinduna (Turk Mine)

Sunday: Hwange Juniors v Amagagasi (Hwange), Bantu Rovers v Victoria Falls Tigers (Luveve), Bulawayo Chiefs vBlack Boots (White City)