By Thomas Chidamba
Former Mhangura Mine Football Club player, Felton Kamambo, who is now the ZIFA president, had his mission to recall COSAFA president Phillip Chiyangwa from the zonal body hit a brick wall.
Kamambo accused Chiyangwa, who is a former ZIFA president, of shenanigans to destabilise the Warriors during their short stint at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Chiyangwa was fingered together with former ZIFA vice president Omega Sibanda, and suspended executive member Chamu Chiwanza for having an underhand in Warrior’s dismal AFCON performance that saw them being eliminated in the group stages.
Kamambo then sought to recall Chiyangwa from his COSAFA post but it has hit a brick wall as the regional body dismissed his plea.
In a response letter to ZIFA, COSAFA Secretary General Sue Destombes said the local football body has no mandate to recall Chiyangwa and urged them to solve the matter internally.
“Your allegations against the former President of ZIFA, whether founded or unfounded, are domestic in nature and should therefore be dealt with in Zimbabwe.
“These issues have nothing to do with COSAFA.
“The President of COSAFA was duly elected by the General Assembly of COSAFA in December 2016 in accordance with Article 10.3 of the Statutes.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association does not have the right to ‘recall Dr Phillip Chiyangwa as COSAFA President’ despite his nationality.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association, a Member of COSAFA should not seek to use the Office of the President of COSAFA to resolve domestic disputes and in so doing, bring the Zonal Union and the Presidency into disrepute,” Destombes said.
COSAFA urged ZIFA to put football development first over trivial allegations that can be solved internally.
“We trust that the Association will act in a responsible manner and seek to resolve any differences so that the focus of the leadership can be on football development and reaching the full and considerable potential which Zimbabwe has,” read part of the letter.
Suspended ZIFA executive member Chiwanza rubbished the allegations against him and threatened to spill the beans on embezzlement of funds at 53 Livingstone house.
