Sports / Soccer
Chidzambwa's life ban by ZIFA has been lifted with immediate effect
29 Apr 2015 at 08:39hrs | Views
SUNDAY Chidzambwa's life ban by ZIFA, for his alleged involvement in the Asiagate match-fixing saga, has been lifted with immediate effect, giving the country's most successful football coach the green light to resume his career on the domestic front.
Chidzambwa, the first coach to take the Warriors to the Nations Cup finals in Tunisia in 2004, was banned for life by the association in 2012, after a series of hearings conducted by the Justice Ebrahim Commission into the saga.
The commission recommended that Chidzambwa be banned and the ZIFA Board, after a two-day retreat at Pandhari Lodge in Harare in 2012, delivered a life ban.
The ban, though, was not endorsed by FIFA, despite ZIFA's spirited efforts, and it meant that Chidzambwa, who had moved to South Africa at the time, was allowed to continue working in that country as coach of Black Leopards.
Another person, who had also been banned for life, goalkeeper Edmore "ZiKeeper" Sibanda, also had his ban lifted, giving him the green light to resume his career on the domestic scene and he could be playing for Division One side, Gunners, soon.
But the spotlight will fall on Chidzambwa, who returned home two years ago, and has been unable to secure a job on the domestic front, despite being wooed by a number of clubs who needed his services, because he was barred from working on the domestic football scene.
He has been battling for his freedom, in the last two years, and even engaged ZIFA president Cuthbert Dube on a number of occasions, including meeting the country's football boss at his residence in the capital last year, to discuss the possibility of him being freed from the ban.
Chidzambwa also engaged Premier Soccer league boss Twine Phiri for a helping hand and was asked by ZIFA to put his request, for a review of his ban, in writing with hopes, back then, even high that he could make a return ahead of the start of the new domestic season this year. He was recently interviewed by a two-man ZIFA team, led by the association's lawyer Ralph Maganga and questioned about events at the Merdeka Cup, where he led a Zimbabwe Select national team in Malaysia in 2007.
The veteran coach, who denies ever being involved in match-fixing, was also questioned about a trip undertaken by the Zimbabwe Under-20 team to a tournament in Bulgaria in 2008, and the roles he played during that tour.
Chidzambwa, the first coach to take the Warriors to the Nations Cup finals in Tunisia in 2004, was banned for life by the association in 2012, after a series of hearings conducted by the Justice Ebrahim Commission into the saga.
The commission recommended that Chidzambwa be banned and the ZIFA Board, after a two-day retreat at Pandhari Lodge in Harare in 2012, delivered a life ban.
The ban, though, was not endorsed by FIFA, despite ZIFA's spirited efforts, and it meant that Chidzambwa, who had moved to South Africa at the time, was allowed to continue working in that country as coach of Black Leopards.
But the spotlight will fall on Chidzambwa, who returned home two years ago, and has been unable to secure a job on the domestic front, despite being wooed by a number of clubs who needed his services, because he was barred from working on the domestic football scene.
He has been battling for his freedom, in the last two years, and even engaged ZIFA president Cuthbert Dube on a number of occasions, including meeting the country's football boss at his residence in the capital last year, to discuss the possibility of him being freed from the ban.
Chidzambwa also engaged Premier Soccer league boss Twine Phiri for a helping hand and was asked by ZIFA to put his request, for a review of his ban, in writing with hopes, back then, even high that he could make a return ahead of the start of the new domestic season this year. He was recently interviewed by a two-man ZIFA team, led by the association's lawyer Ralph Maganga and questioned about events at the Merdeka Cup, where he led a Zimbabwe Select national team in Malaysia in 2007.
The veteran coach, who denies ever being involved in match-fixing, was also questioned about a trip undertaken by the Zimbabwe Under-20 team to a tournament in Bulgaria in 2008, and the roles he played during that tour.
Source - herald
