Reinstate suspended Zifa board, Antipas urges SRC

CHICKEN Inn coach Joey Antipas has urged the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) to consider reinstating the suspended Zifa board to avoid further "problems" for the country.

SRC suspended the Felton Kamambo-led Zifa board in November last year, which resulted in Fédération Internationale de Football Association (Fifa) banning Zimbabwe from all international football activities  over government interference.

Speaking to the media after his team's 1-0 win over Dynamos on Sunday, the former Warriors coach said reinstating the Zifa board was the ‘simplest thing to do'."

Antipas is the first local coach to voice his concern over the Fifa ban which was handed down last week.

"I believe it's a simple thing," Antipas said. "You know at times we make a mountain out of a moth. All the SRC should do is reinstate the Zifa board. In any case their term is up, the four-year period is up so they should just reinstate the Zifa board and go for elections. "I think that could solve the problem because we cannot go on like this. I mean, it's election time so that is the simplest thing to do and I think that would work."

SRC has remained adamant saying it would not reinstate the suspended Zifa board. The sports regulator has a scheduled Press conference this afternoon to "elaborate on the recent developments with regard to the temporary suspension of Zifa".

With the ban, Zimbabwe and local clubs cannot participate in any Fifa-sanctioned football activities and will lose its rights to grants.

This means that the Warriors will not be part of the draw for the Afcon 2023 qualifiers, among other losses.

The qualifiers are set to start in May.