Sports / Soccer
Fifa extends Dembare player ban
01 Oct 2013 at 00:33hrs | Views
ZIMBABWE international Devon Chafa will have to wait a little longer before he can know the fate of his football career after Fifa yesterday extended the initial provisional 30-day ban on the Dynamos midfielder for testing positive for a prohibited substance.
Chafa was on August 30, slapped with a provisional 30-day suspension, which was due to lapse at the end of September and Fifa were expected to announce their next move.
The world soccer governing body have since advised the player that the issue is dragging a little longer, which means Chafa would have to remain on the sidelines for at least another three weeks.
Warriors team doctor Nicholas Munyonga also confirmed yesterday that Fifa were yet to make a final determination over Chafa and the player, his club and the national team would just have to wait patiently to hear what form of sanctions would be imposed on the 22-year-old midfielder.
"Fifa communicated last week that they have not yet sat over the issue. They advised that they may only be able to meet on October 18.
"So this means the suspension has been extended," said Munyonga.
As covered by Article 132 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code, in the event that the proceedings do not conclude in the 30 days as is the case with the Chafa matter, it can only be extended by another period not exceeding another 20 days Munyonga said Zifa and the player had since been advised of the latest developments.
Chafa tested positive for a prohibited substance following a random urine sample test conducted on him after Zimbabwe's World Cup African Zone Group G qualifier against Egypt at the National Sports Stadium on June 9. The former Eagles and Black Rhinos midfielder's last game for Dynamos was the BancABC Sup8r semi-final which the Glamour Boys lost on penalties against Shabanie Mine at Barbourfields.
Chafa and his management team had, however, been hoping that the midfielder would bounce back into action after just a month of inactivity.
At the time of his suspension, Chafa was one of the most consistent performers at Dynamos and in the Warriors' African Nations Championships squad.
He also played a key role in ensuring that the Warriros upstaged Cosafa champions Zambia in the final CHAN qualifiers with a Charles Sibanda second half goal ensuring that Zimbabwe became the first team to beat Chipolopolo at their fortress at Levy Mwanawasa stadium in Ndola.
Both Dynamos and Zifa have however, been supportive towards the player as he tries to battle his way out of the storm where he became the first Zimbabwean footballer to be suspended by Fifa over the use of a prohibited substance.
On August 30, Fifa posted a statement that the player had been suspended so that they will open disciplinary proceedings on the doping control case.
"The chairman of the Fifa Disciplinary Committee has provisionally suspended a Zimbabwean international footballer for an initial period of 30 days and opened disciplinary proceedings following an adverse analytical finding in relation to a doping control conducted after the 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifier between Zimbabwe and Egypt played in Harare, Zimbabwe on June 9, 2013," read the statement from Fifa.
After receiving the 'A' sample result, which was positive for a prohibited substance included in WADA's 2013 prohibited list, Chafa did not request the analysis of the 'B' sample within the deadline granted as he had already conceded that the drug was found in the medicine that had been prescribed to him by a family doctor.
Fifa also asked Zifa to submit a statement and all the supporting evidence by September 16, as the association tried to find a way to help the player who is facing charges of contravening Article 63 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code.
The decision to provisionally suspend the player was taken in accordance with articles 38ff of the Fifa Anti-Doping Regulations and articles 129ff of the Fifa Disciplinary Code.
During a press conference last month, Chafa cast a brave face and said he would bravely take the suspension in its stride, while remaining positive that he would soon resume his career.
Chafa's case has also brought to the fore the glaringly shortcomings in the lack of awareness on the part of local players about the blacklisted drugs and those they can freely use. At the time of his suspension, Chafa was one of the most consistent performers for both club and country in a midfield holding role and had been key to coach Callisto Pasuwa's hopes that DeMbare can mount a successful defence of their league and cup titles.
In the period that Chafa has been suspended Pasuwa has had to tinker with the trio of Stephen Alimenda, Sydney Linyama and Thomas Magorimbo, who have been tasked with doing the defensive midfield duties.
Chafa was on August 30, slapped with a provisional 30-day suspension, which was due to lapse at the end of September and Fifa were expected to announce their next move.
The world soccer governing body have since advised the player that the issue is dragging a little longer, which means Chafa would have to remain on the sidelines for at least another three weeks.
Warriors team doctor Nicholas Munyonga also confirmed yesterday that Fifa were yet to make a final determination over Chafa and the player, his club and the national team would just have to wait patiently to hear what form of sanctions would be imposed on the 22-year-old midfielder.
"Fifa communicated last week that they have not yet sat over the issue. They advised that they may only be able to meet on October 18.
"So this means the suspension has been extended," said Munyonga.
As covered by Article 132 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code, in the event that the proceedings do not conclude in the 30 days as is the case with the Chafa matter, it can only be extended by another period not exceeding another 20 days Munyonga said Zifa and the player had since been advised of the latest developments.
Chafa tested positive for a prohibited substance following a random urine sample test conducted on him after Zimbabwe's World Cup African Zone Group G qualifier against Egypt at the National Sports Stadium on June 9. The former Eagles and Black Rhinos midfielder's last game for Dynamos was the BancABC Sup8r semi-final which the Glamour Boys lost on penalties against Shabanie Mine at Barbourfields.
Chafa and his management team had, however, been hoping that the midfielder would bounce back into action after just a month of inactivity.
At the time of his suspension, Chafa was one of the most consistent performers at Dynamos and in the Warriors' African Nations Championships squad.
Both Dynamos and Zifa have however, been supportive towards the player as he tries to battle his way out of the storm where he became the first Zimbabwean footballer to be suspended by Fifa over the use of a prohibited substance.
On August 30, Fifa posted a statement that the player had been suspended so that they will open disciplinary proceedings on the doping control case.
"The chairman of the Fifa Disciplinary Committee has provisionally suspended a Zimbabwean international footballer for an initial period of 30 days and opened disciplinary proceedings following an adverse analytical finding in relation to a doping control conducted after the 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifier between Zimbabwe and Egypt played in Harare, Zimbabwe on June 9, 2013," read the statement from Fifa.
After receiving the 'A' sample result, which was positive for a prohibited substance included in WADA's 2013 prohibited list, Chafa did not request the analysis of the 'B' sample within the deadline granted as he had already conceded that the drug was found in the medicine that had been prescribed to him by a family doctor.
Fifa also asked Zifa to submit a statement and all the supporting evidence by September 16, as the association tried to find a way to help the player who is facing charges of contravening Article 63 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code.
The decision to provisionally suspend the player was taken in accordance with articles 38ff of the Fifa Anti-Doping Regulations and articles 129ff of the Fifa Disciplinary Code.
During a press conference last month, Chafa cast a brave face and said he would bravely take the suspension in its stride, while remaining positive that he would soon resume his career.
Chafa's case has also brought to the fore the glaringly shortcomings in the lack of awareness on the part of local players about the blacklisted drugs and those they can freely use. At the time of his suspension, Chafa was one of the most consistent performers for both club and country in a midfield holding role and had been key to coach Callisto Pasuwa's hopes that DeMbare can mount a successful defence of their league and cup titles.
In the period that Chafa has been suspended Pasuwa has had to tinker with the trio of Stephen Alimenda, Sydney Linyama and Thomas Magorimbo, who have been tasked with doing the defensive midfield duties.
Source - herald
