PSL emergecny committee decision causes discord in...

PSL emergecny committee decision causes discord in smooth flow of league fixtures

Bata Stadium: Sheasham set fourteen days target | The Chronicle

Hope Chizuzu

It has been established that it was the Premier Soccer League Emergency Committee that made the decision to suspend the use of Bata Stadium, despite the First Instance Board clearing the same for use.

The emergency committee of Farai Jere, Lifa Ncube, Lovemore Matikinyidze and Masimba Chihowa sat down after the Highlanders match and decided that construction be finished before the stadium can be reopened to matches for Sheasham.

It was not Kenny Ndebele, who is being roundly criticized by all including social media users, as the man who made the decision.

As CEO of the PSL, Ndebele simply communicated a decision made by his superiors. Such a decision is above his pay cheque.

Further investigations have revealed that Sheasham are in a grounds fix after their lease to use Mandava stadium for home matches elapsed the day they hosted Bosso.

They have no venue to host CAPS United as they had hoped to continue using their home ground after the FIB approval certificate was issued.

The venue in its current state is far much better than some venues. In fact, only Barbourfields boast a better playing surface than Bata. The National Sports Stadium turf pales into a paprika field in comparison.

The Construction Boys, whose patron Clive Mandaza has poured finances, energy and emotions into the project, are still on course to complete the stadium works as agreed in the homologation certification protocols.

But the problem was created when the PSL emergency committee, without consultation with the FBI, decided to stop the use of the stadium.

They pandered to the whims of social media hawks who took a picture of the incomplete section of the venue and claimed it was the full story of the status of the venue.

They did not provide credible reasons for the decision, nor did they make reference to any recommendations made by the FIB, leaving football having to face this embarrassing backlash.

That there is no FA at the moment after the expiry of term of office of members of Zifa and the Exco, has been laid bare. Even the Gift Banda-led interim was debased by Fifa as a vagabonds grouping.

Xolisani Gwesela, the acting Zifa CEO, who should under normal circumstances be holding the shop in bay, has failed to restore order and respectability to our game.

The PSL emergency committee are not the ultimate in as far as the quality of grounds is concerned. It is the prerogative of the FA through the FIB.

If the FIB decided to certify a stadium for use, PSL or its committee or CEO have no authority to amend that without written concern.

The Bata Stadium conundrum was firmly caused by the emergency committee, who in a haste to make a decision, failed to defer to Gwesela, the secretary of the FIB, who could have advised them that they had homologated the venue in the full knowledge that works will be completed on specified times.

But alas, it did not happen, throwing up further dust on the league brand, which was otherwise beautifully rebranding under very harsh circumstances.

The same PSL emergency committee must climb down and reverse their ill-advised decision and allow Sheasham to play its games in the stadium.

There was no incident when the venue hosted Highlanders, which is by far, is the most crowd pulling football franchise, in the land.

We know our football is an animal farm, but surely we can allow common sense to prevail.

Sheasham are doing all they can to make the venue ideal, safe and comfortable to host matches and are doing a great job of it.

Worse, they cannot be forced to break their necks and back again to beg Zvishavane town council for a short lease, at short notice, simply because four men sat in the dark to make a bad decision for a good cause.

Even though there is no Zifa, the PSL hierarchy can surely be considerate. Our football doesn't need this madness.

It has enough already with oft comical referees, coaches CAF A licence tragicomedy where a whole technical director is paid for conducting a regularisation test to one coach at home.

More on the story later but for now, Jere and his team must come out and admit to the mistake and allow Sheasham to host teams at Bata Stadium as they complete the works which, according to contractors, are just 19 percent short.