Zimbabwe International midfielder Marvelous Nakamba hopes of playing in the English Premier League next season were dealt a heavy blow as his side Aston Villa were thumped 3-0 by Manchester United at Villa Park on Thursday evening to leave their Premier League hopes hanging by a thread.

After starting the match on the substitutes’ bench, Nakamba came in as a second half-substitute and anchored Villa’s midfield but his efforts were in vain as the Birmingham-based side slumped to yet another defeat.

Aston Villa were blown away by rampant Manchester United as Jon Moss’s harsh first-half penalty call condemned Dean Smith’s men yet another defeat.

It was referee Moss who put the nail in Villa’s coffin after he adjudged Ezri Konsa to have bundled over Bruno Fernandes despite the Portuguese appearing to fall over after his swivel in the box went wrong.

Fernandes, though, slotted home the penalty which was converted just a minute after Trezeguet hit the post during a three-vs-two breakaway in Villa’s favour.

As the half went on, despondent Villa couldn’t get to grips with United’s power on the break and, just before half time, red-hot youngster Mason Greenwood spanked home a sensational second.

Smith failed to rally the troops after the break and 13 minutes after the restart Paul Pogba passed home an easy – and cool – finish down low for goal number three.

Villa had just one shot on target all night as United recorded their fourth-straight victory by a three-goal margin – a Premier League record.

As for Smith’s men, they’ve dropped down a place to 19th after Bournemouth’s point against Spurs. It’s Crystal Palace up next on Sunday with Villa still four points adrift as the games tick away.

While Nakamba continues to sing the blues in his debut season in England, Zimbabwe Warriors defender Teenage Hadebe was in good form as his Turkish top flight side Yeni Malatyaspor enhanced their hopes of surviving relegation.

Hadebe’s Turkish Super Lig side Yeni Malatyaspor’s survival chances were handed a massive boost following their crucial 1-0 win over title-chasing Sivasspor on Wednesday.

Ghanaian forward Afriyie Acquah scored the only goal of the match in the 68th minute to hand the visitors maximum points and their first away victory since December.

The victory boosted Yeni Malatyaspor’s survival chances as they moved to 13th spot in the top-flight table with 32 points from 31 outings, two points above the relegation zone.

Hadebe was in the starting eleven and played the entire game.

The post Zimbabwe: Nakamba’s Villa Keeps Sinking, Hadebe Boosts Survival Hopes appeared first on Zimbabwe Today.

Play by Play Inc, ambitious sports, and entertainment company that specialises in brand management, has teamed up with top Zimbabwean athletes in rugby and cricket in a partnership they hope will help to unlock the commercial value in the local sports sector.

The sports and entertainment management firm, which also manages music artistes in Zimbabwe and neighbouring Zambia, recently teamed up with Zimbabwe rugby team captain Hilton Mudariki and national cricket team allrounder Ryan Burl.

By incorporating both sports and music management simultaneously, Play by Play Inc appears to be inspired by the US-based entertainment company Roc Nation which was founded by iconic American billionaire rapper Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter in 2008.

Artistes managed by Roc Nation include Alicia Keys, Shakira, Mariah Carey, Jay-Z, J Cole and Rihanna, while the footballers they represent include Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City, Romelu Lukaku of Inter Milan and the Manchester United duo of Eric Bailly and Marcus Rashford.

Rugby star Siya Kolisi, who is the first black captain of the Springboks, became the top management agency’s first rugby client in December last year after leading South Africa to World Cup glory in Japan.

While Roc Nation has been shaking the global sporting industry, Play by Play Inc, which is the brainchild of local sports marketing expert Munyaradzi Mwenye and his colleague Willard Kachere, hopes to make its own difference in local sports.

Mwenye comes from a sports marketing background having worked with Total Sports Marketing (TSM), a Bangladeshi sports marketing agency, which previously held the marketing rights and live television coverage for all of Zimbabwe’s home international matches.

He said the company, which offers different services such as brand management, marketing, event planning, public relations and corporate sponsorship, aims to provide the “highest quality representation and management” to its clients.

“The name Play by Play comes from the term “playing sport and playing music” so each ‘Play’ will take the industries one step closer to being better through our vision which is to empower athletes, music artistes and creatives to realise their full potential,” Mwenye told The Sports Hub in an interview.

“The company has been growing from strength to strength since its birth in November 2019 and our main priority is to give the highest quality representation and management to all our clients who want to maximise their potential through our various channels.”

In addition to its sports clients Mudariki and Burl, Play by Play are also owners of Harare Hockey League team Play by Play Hounds while in music they are currently working with several artistes from Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Mwenye said their vision is to expand their network beyond the country’s borders while also collaborating with corporates and sponsors in the disciplines of sports and showbiz.

“We are looking at expanding to other African countries with time and connect Zimbabwe with other countries on the continent. As a corporate business, our model affords flexibility in our transactions with our consumers while bringing together strategic management to our outstanding brands with top-notch influencers, advertisers and marketing partners.”

He added: “With a team of experience in product management, marketing, events planning, brand development and a wholesome list of partners who offer endorsements, we’re supremely confident that we can shape your brand strategically and align adequate services with your present and future consumers. Play by Play is looking to partner with a lot of other corporations, companies and initiatives to make the showbiz and sports fraternity a better place.”

The post Zimbabwe: Sports Agency Aims to Unlock Zim Sport’s Commercial Value appeared first on Zimbabwe Today.

DYNAMOS’ Harare Chapter supporters continue to show their good side after they donated foodstuffs to 17 underprivileged children at Gogo Jabangwe Children’s Home over the weekend.

The fans sourced foodstuffs worth over $8 000 to bring relief to the Children’s home in the face of hardships posed by coronavirus.

Chapter spokesperson, Thomas Dembo, said although his association was mostly concerned with rooting for their team, they were also obliged to play their social responsibility role.

“We are not mere Dynamos supporters, neither do we operate in a vacuum. We live in a community with ethos and values that have to be respected,” said Dembo.

“Look, Dynamos is a big institution, as such we, as an association, are also a big institution. You can academically separate us from Dynamos but practically we are one thing.

“We feel obliged to also play our role as members of the biggest football institution in the country, to help out where there is a need.

“We live in a society where there are a lot of underprivileged children, some of them with disabilities, and we should put our hand to help out.

“Basically, as an association, we are not only concerned with supporting Dynamos. We are also aware of the weight that we should carry on our shoulders.

“In fact, we have been donating to Gogo Jabangwe’s place in the past few years but we have decided to do so regularly in a single calendar year, especially during this period.

“What we have decided to do as Dynamos supporters is move around, especially in Children’s homes, and see who needs our assistance. We will be doing this during this period. It’s not like we have everything but we just want to share the little that we have.”

Dembo said his organisation were always in touch with the Dynamos executive, and technical team, whom they also help with information when some of their players misbehave in the suburbs.

There are syndicates who have been organising money games with a Premiership Select Side, of late, moving around playing against different teams.

On Sunday, the PSL Select side clashed with Sunningdale Select in Sunningdale with a US$200 cash prize at stake.

“We are all over Harare and we are in constant touch with our technical team,” he said. “We know most players, from different top-flight teams, are engaging in money-games.

“If we see some of our players in such games, we talk with them so that they stop engaging in detrimental activities.”

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FORMER Warriors defender Costa Nhamoinesu has been hailed as a great professional by one of the Czech Republic’s finest footballers of all-time.

The Zimbabwean is leaving Sparta Prague after a seven-year stint at the club.

Club legend Tomáš Rosicky, who played for Arsenal, Borrusia Dortmund and captained the Czech Republic for 10 years, has hailed Nhamoinesu.

“Costa was a great professional for the whole time at Sparta. He became a real Spartan!” Rosicky told the club’s website.

Nhamoinesu joined Sparta in 2013 from Polish side Zaglebie Lubin.

He won a league championship in his debut season and crowned it with the Czech Cup and the Czech Super Cup in 2014.

He also lifted the 2020 Czech Cup recently.

“It’s difficult for me to talk about leaving Sparta because this is a club that I had developed a special relationship with,” said Nhamoinesu.

“You know, if you spend seven years at one place, it becomes special and Sparta had become a home for me.

“The fans, they created a home, they made it a home for me and that’s most important for me, to feel at home.

“I developed a special relationship with the players, the management and all the coaches that I have worked with and that’s special and valuable for me.

“It’s a period that I have to leave but that’s life. We meet to part and we part to meet.”

The former AmaZulu and Masvingo United man will be remembered as the first African to wear the captain’s armband at Sparta.

Among his career highs were reaching the Europa League quarter-finals and featuring regularly in the Champions League.

Nhamoinesu was last week honoured for breaking club records by becoming the first foreign player to reach a career milestone of 200 caps.

“I came here from the ghetto and, in the ghetto, it’s all about fighting. So, the ghetto taught me to fight for life, to fight for what I do.

“But, when I came to Sparta, there was an addition to that. Sparta gave me an addition to that fight because Sparta is an ambitious club.

“They want to play for titles, they want to play for cups every season. It doesn’t matter you finish fourth or fifth but the next season the aim is we play for title, we play for cups.

“It’s important for me that Sparta have installed that mentality in me that you have to fight always for higher level.

“These are the qualities that I can use outside football. Apart from the trophies, and the football we played, I am happy that Sparta taught me something outside football,” said Nhamoinesu.

The defender has been a vital cog in Sparta’s set-up but, of late, injuries have been troubling him.

He played a little part in the campaign this year.

Nhamoinesu is a proud holder of a Masters Diploma in Sports Management obtained from the Johaan Cruyff Institute and hopes to use that knowledge to transform the lives of talented footballers back home.

“I wrote a business plan about my master thesis, which is something between sports academy and sports agency,” he said.

“So, it’s something to help the youths in Africa back in Africa, Zimbabwe, in the ghetto because these youths are talented but few of them play at a high level.

“They need to be taught about professional football, the demands, and what you have to do to achieve success because it’s not only about talent.

“That is the business plan that I wrote about. So, I think that it’s a great initiative and I hope that, especially Sparta, which is a big club here, will help me with this future plan.

“I think other sponsors, investors or people who are interested in grooming and building talent in the ghetto, I think with help from such people, it could be a good project.

“That’s the plan that I have for the future of football.”

He says he still wants to keep playing.

“But, the important thing is I stayed healthy, I feel fit, I feel strong, I feel I can push more. It’s a pity that I finish here, which not what I really wanted.

“I am a professional and I accept the situation. Hopefully I will get some team to play for because I would still like to continue playing.”

The post Zimbabwe: Sparta Legend Rosicky Hails Costa appeared first on Zimbabwe Today.

A RAY of light has filtered through the dark cloud which has been hanging over Prisons FC since they were kicked out of the ZIFA Northern Region Division One League.

The former Premiership side, formerly known as Flame Lily, won the right to play in the second-tier league after finishing first in their Division Two campaign last year.

However, the Harare side were thrown out of Division One, and replaced by Golden Eagles, who had finished second, after authorities said they had failed to pay their affiliation fees in time.

However, Prisons argued it was unfair to throw them out just days after they had deposited $8 700 into the league’s coffers.

The club, who have employed a number of footballers who are now working with the country’s Prisons and Correctional Services, also argue they have contributed immensely to the industry of the game through giving their players and coaching staff secure jobs.

They claim they were given a raw deal, especially after paying a chunk of their subscription fees, and committing themselves to clearing the remaining chunk, within the shortest possible period of time.

The club leaders also questioned why the Division One leadership appeared desperate to kick them out, at a time when football has been on hold throughout the country, because of the Covid-19 outbreak.

They also claimed there appear to be a deliberate attempt to push clubs, especially those from the police and the prison services, out of the domestic football system despite those teams employing hundreds of players and officials who are taking care of scores of families around the country.

Tenax and Whawha, who have links to the Prisons and Correctional Services, were almost denied a place in the PSL after they struggled to pay their affiliation fees.

However, the PSL leaders, after taking into account the number of families directly benefiting from the two clubs, and that football was on a break, chose to throw the teams a lifeline and, in the end, both settled their dues.

And, their spirited fight appears to be bearing fruit after they were allowed to lodge an appeal against the decision to kick them out.

“We refer to your appeal letter, dated 12 June 2020, which was emailed to us on 24 June 2020 and is noted,” the league wrote to Prisons FC chairman, Tendayi “Zulu” Chaponda, last week.

“Please be advised that we have submitted your appeal to the Disciplinary Committee and, for them to convene and hear your case, you need to pay $30 000 appeal fee.

“May you proceed to deposit the money in the ZIFA Northern Region bank account on or before 24 July 2020. Once the payment is received, you will be notified of the date for the hearing.”

It’s a massive psychological victory for Prisons FC who are desperate to ensure they play in Division One this season.

The post Zimbabwe: Escape Route for FC Prisons? appeared first on Zimbabwe Today.

RUYAMURO Holdings yesterday fulfilled their pledge by giving ZIFA Northern Region Division One 2019 Soccer Star of the Year winner, Kelvin Chibunyu, a car.

Chibunyu, who plays for Cranborne Bullets, was last year voted the Ruyamuro Northern Region Division One best player.

He won a Nissan Tida sedan.

The ecstatic 19-year-old, who was playing social football for the The Herald in the Communications League three years ago, said he could hardly wait to play in the Premier League.

“I have been waiting for a long time for this opportunity and I am not going to look back,” he said.

“I thank my coach, Nesbert Saruchera, for giving me the opportunity to shine and I hope to continue doing that.

“It was not an easy road as I had to endure warming the bench in my first season in 2018 but, with time, I managed to get regular first-team action.

“It is through hard work that I managed to do this. I cannot wait for the start of the season as I want to use the platform to market myself for a move abroad.”

The handover was graced by Ruyamuro marketing executive, Takudza Makwangudze.

“We are happy with our relationship with the Northern Region and I believe it is not going to end here as we still have a year on our contract.

“There is need to give back to the community and we saw it fit to support soccer.

“I believe our gesture will go a long way in motivating other players to work hard in the upcoming season.

“We will continue to support the Region as long as they remain as professional as they are,” said Makwangudze.

ZIFA Northern Region chairman, Martin Kweza, said this was all part of their efforts to promote the game.

“Our aim is to promote teams that will be a force to reckon with in the Premier League and we are grateful to our sponsors who gave us the vehicle,” he said.

“We are looking forward to more fruitful years and continuing to give the players meaningful awards.”

Chibunyu is the fifth player to have won a motor vehicle after Zivanai Mhanda, Herbert Rusawo, Evans Katema and Blessing Majarira.

The post Zimbabwe: Teen Star Chibunyu Rewarded With Vehicle appeared first on Zimbabwe Today.

THIS year could have seen the Zimbabwe Squash Academy Trust celebrating their 11th anniversary in Harare.

But, the celebrations are likely to be put on hold due to the coronavirus outbreak.

“We have given the Sports Commission some of our precautions, indicating how we are going to conduct our activities, as far as the prevention of the spreading of the coronavirus is concerned,” said Zimbabwe Squash Academy Trust director, Mashumba Mukumba.

“We will wait until we get the permission from the Sports Commission to resume playing because, next year, will be too far unless the situation doesn’t change.”

The measures they will follow are:

l Social distancing at the squash courts will be observed.

l Sanitising and disinfections will be conducted before and after play. Players’ hands, rackets, balls, squash doors, handles and floors and ablution facilities will be sanitised and disinfected daily.

l There will be no handshakes or hugs before the matches, during the matches and after the matches.

l Temperature checks will be conducted upon arrival at the Squash Club premises.

l All support staff at the clubs, coaches and players will put on face masks when they are not playing.

l No competitions will be held now until such a period that the Sports Commission will give the green light for such competitions to go ahead.

l Clubs will monitor their players and support staff for any symptoms at all times.

The Zimbabwe Squash Academy Trust was formed in 2009 and is the brainchild of Mukumba, who wanted to give underprivileged children from Harare’s high-density suburbs such as Glen View, Kuwadzana, Budiriro, Warren Park as well as Chitungwiza, the chance to play squash.

The academy is based at Harare’s Belgravia Sports Club which has been home to some of Zimbabwe’s finest squash players, including Ishmael Mubure.

The post Zimbabwe: Squash Academy Itching to Return to Courts appeared first on Zimbabwe Today.

THE ZIFA Northern Region Division One executive will this afternoon meet their clubs to discuss how they can disburse the Covid-19 relief funds they received from ZIFA.

The league received $1.6 million from the mother body to cushion their clubs during these trying times.

The money is part of the US$1.8 million football rescue package from Fifa and CAF.

“We are grateful to ZIFA for allocating us some funds for Covid-19 relief and we are going to make sure that our affiliates get something,” said Northern Region chairman, Martin Kweza.

“This is a national cause and we hope the money will go a long way in helping the clubs, which are already struggling.

“We received the package on Tuesday and we need to distribute it early so that it gets to its intended recipients, who are the clubs.

“Covid-19 affected everyone and we remain hopeful that we will get the opportunity to have the league starting when things settle.

“We are going to see how the contracts will be dealt with as we have some players whose contracts may have lapsed so we might need to extend them.

“We will follow government directives, in terms of the resumption of sport.”

Meanwhile, FC Prisons have paid their appeal fee to the ZIFA Northern Region Division One League.

The former Premiership club paid $30 000 through their chairman, Tendayi “Zulu” Chaponda.

They were thrown out of Division One, and replaced by Golden Eagles, who had finished second, after authorities said they had failed to pay their affiliation fees in time.

However, Prisons argued it was unfair to throw them out just days after they had deposited $8 700 into the league’s coffers.

The club, who have employed a number of footballers who are now working with the country’s Prisons and Correctional Services, also argue they have contributed immensely to the industry of the game through giving their players and coaching staff secure jobs.

The post Zimbabwe: Division One Clubs Meet Today appeared first on Zimbabwe Today.

THE proposed twinning of English Championship side Nottingham Forest with Harare City has suffered a still birth with the initiator of the alliance, British coach Mark Harrison, hinting the partnership could now benefit Highlanders.

The Englishman, who hails from Derby, a city close to Nottingham, initiated the deal when he met the chief executive of the Nottingham Sports Community, Graham Moran, while on his annual vacation last year.

“Regarding the Harare City/Nottingham Forest twinning deal, I would say it is pretty much dead, especially after I left,” said Harrison.

“There is now a lack of contact between the two clubs. When I was still with Harare City, we were very much in constant contact with Nottingham Forest and a deal was close.

“I am still in constant touch with Nottingham Forest and I attended one of their home games in December as a guest, a couple of weeks before I joined Highlanders.

“(It’s now more than likely that) Highlanders have the chance to twin with Forest (Nottingham) if we can get back to normal.”

Harare City football club chief executive, Tafadzwa Bhasera, insists the deal is still in the pipeline.

“The deal is pretty much alive. Had it not been for Covid-19, which has disturbed everything in terms of football, we would be talking of something else,” said Bhasera.

“What I can say for now is the deal is on.

“Nothing has changed and the arrangement will go ahead once things get back to normal. This deal has more to do with the Harare Municipality and their Nottingham counterparts.

“These two cities enjoy cordial relations and they want to incorporate the sporting faculty as well. So, as long as the two cities are in good standing, the twinning arrangement is still on.

“The deal will see the two teams embarking on exchange programmes with our coaches going for attachments at Nottingham Forest while there will be possibility for our players to join that club as well.”

The post Zimbabwe: Forest, City Deal in Doubt appeared first on Zimbabwe Today.

UNITED Kingdom-based scribe and author, Lot Danai Chitakasha, hopes his book,which was published here yesterday,will encourage others to share their football experiences.

“First Cut: Memoirs of a football fan,” will encourage others to share their football experiences thereby broadening the country’s football literature.

Chitakasha is not new to football writing, having contributed numerous in-depth articles to various leading newspapers and, four years ago, collaborated with legendary goalkeeper, Japhet Mparutsa, for the latter’s autobiography. The book was published by Dean Thompson Publishing.

The foreword was written by former Zimbabwe international, Cephas Chimedza, the 2004 Soccer Star of the Year.

The 223-page book, which also features 30 pictures, captures the author’s journey into football fandom and seeks to explore how fans help in forming certain habits in the game.

The author also explores the deep rivalry in Zimbabwean club football.

“The book is now available on Amazon in both hard cover and kindle formats,” he said.

“We are making efforts to make the book available in Zimbabwe soon.

“What mainly motivated me into writing the book is the desire to capture my football experiences, from a fan’s perspective.

“The book is about the football journey I travelled as a fan and I deliberately focused on the Zimbabwe experience because I feel it is a shared experience for most fans.

“The title is about the first football love, from a young age, and the journey there after.

“We were hoping to do the launch, soon after publication but, with the current Covid-19 pandemic, we will have to wait.

“Hopefully, around September, we will launch the book. I am hoping to travel to Zimbabwe soon and I will arrange a launch.”

He added that one of the main challenges he faced was the difficulty that comes with gathering information.

“I relied mostly on memory as written information of Zimbabwean sport is a bit limited.

“It may not be perfect but overall, I tried to keep the mistakes to a minimal,” he said.

Former Warriors and 2004 Soccer of the Year, Chimedza described the book as a welcome addition to the country’s literature landscape.

“In Zimbabwe, we have a problem with the keeping of records. The exploits of past football heroes, before the advent of social media, have been lost.

“Very few have made an effort to retrieve these and write books to keep the memories alive. It is, therefore, refreshing to come across a person like Lot Danai Chitakasha, who has vast knowledge of Zimbabwe football history from the 1980’s,” wrote Chimedza.

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Treasury has extended the Intermediated Money Transfer Tax, more commonly known as the 2 percent tax, to foreign currency transactions.

Earlier this year, Government legalised the use of the United States to transact alongside the local currency in a move aimed to unburdening the public in doing transactions following the emergence of Covid-19.

Announcing new revenue measures in the Mid-Term Budget Review yesterday, Finance and Economic Development Professor Minister Mthuli Ncube said the move to add hard currency transactions on IMMT was due to the preferred use of hard currency by most businesses, which was compromising the tax head.

“Current legislation exempts the transfer of money into and from nostro foreign currency accounts from intermediated money transfer tax.

“Following the legalised use of foreign currency in domestic trade, there has been an upsurge in electronic transfers of foreign currency for transaction purposes.

“The current exemption has, thus, created an unfair advantage for taxpayers transacting in foreign currency, thereby raising equity considerations,” said the Finance Minister.

“Furthermore, the preference for foreign currency by most business has undermined the revenue generating capacity for IMTT.

“I, therefore, propose to extend Intermediated Money Transfer Tax to cover foreign currency transactions, with effect from 1 August 2020.

“For the avoidance of doubt, transactions for organisations accredited in terms of the Privileges and Immunities Act (Chapter 3:03) remain exempt from IMTT.”

The Intermediated Money Transfer Tax came into effect on October 13, 2018 after it was gazetted in Statutory Instrument 205 of 2018.

Last November, Government increased the minimum taxable amounts for IMTT to $100 from $20 per transaction for individuals as it sought to ease the burden on low income earners.

Funds collected from the tax have been used to fund emergency programmes as well as other critical social programmes.

Prof Ncube said the tax had managed to force other sectors, which generally escaped paying tax, from making a contribution to the fiscus.

“In order to cushion low income earners and high volume businesses, I propose to review the tax-free threshold from the current $20 to $100 and the maximum tax payable per transaction by corporates from the current $15 000 to $25 000 on transactions with values exceeding $1 250 000, with effect from 1 January 2020,” he said at the time.

Currently funds generated from the tax head have been going towards mitigating the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Resources from the 2 percent Intermediated Money Transfer Tax (IMTT) were also ring fenced and channelled towards Covid-19 related mitigatory expenditures,” said Professor Ncube yesterday.

The post Zimbabwe: 2pc Tax Extended to Forex Transactions appeared first on Zimbabwe Today.

ZIFA says it will now pay its affiliates Covid-19 relief funds in foreign currency, backtracking from its initial decision to make the payments in local currency after an outcry from local football stakeholders.

The local football mother body has received part payment of the Covid-19 relief aid worth US$2, 2 million from both FIFA and CAF.

Despite the hyper inflationary economic environment, ZIFA had last week revealed that it would start distributing funds to its affiliates in the local currency, a move that was met with resistance by its main affiliate, the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

The two parties had a heated consultative meeting at a Harare hotel on Saturday leading to Zifa backtracking on an earlier decision to pay in local currency.

“We have always received funding from Fifa in US dollars and the norm is that we have to change that on the prevailing exchange rate. That is what we had made a decision to do with the Covid-relief fund,” Zifa president Felton Kamambo said after the meeting with PSL clubs.

“Now that our affiliate has come up with some recommendations, the board is going to look at those recommendations. What’s on the ground is that the Covid relief money is not yet in our account, so we have room to make a decision in a week or so on how we are then going to pay.

“Their recommendations to us made some sense and we just want the board to sit down and come up with something.”

The Zifa president said it was his board which invited the PSL to the meeting.

“We had a meeting with our PSL clubs and contrary to what is being said it is us who invited PSL as part of consultation with affiliates. We discussed the state of football and the resumption of our leagues and quite a number of issues that we discussed among them Covid relief fund.

“We discussed at length on the distribution. In terms of the distribution, I am sure the last time when we had a press conference, I said these were the highlights but in terms of the full distribution we are going to publish it tomorrow with a full distribution of the amount that we have distributed to our affiliates.

“This is the starting point and we have started with our flag affiliate which is PSL and we will be moving to other affiliates throughout the country,” he said.

Zifa promised to publish the full list of how they are going to distribute the Fifa funds to all their affiliates.

During the meeting, the two parties also discussed the possible resumption of football in the country. Zifa are still hopeful that the league will finally resume in September.

“What we have done like I said in our last press conference the medical and competitions committees are looking at the resumption of our football. We have earmarked September for the resumption of our league but the committee of doctors and the competition committee will report back to us on the 8th of August then we will make a decision.

“We have not submitted anything to SRC, we will only submit after the day because we are doing a scientific check on the resumption of our football. We want to submit after the docs and competitions committee are done and we will have something to support our submission,” he said.

The post Zimbabwe: Zifa Backtracks On Release of COVID-19 Relief Funds to Clubs appeared first on Zimbabwe Today.

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) is still hoping to host Afghanistan in a five-match Twenty20 International series despite lingering doubts surrounding the visit by the Asian nation due to spike in Covid-19 infections, and the tightening of the measures to contain the spread of the virus by the Government.

The country’s senior national team cricket players have been training in different parts of the country in anticipation of a proposed visit to the country by Afghanistan after ZC made an application to the government for the tour to be given the approval to go ahead.

Prior to starting their preparations all national team players and players tested negative for the coronavirus while according to reports from Afghanistan, their players also tested negative for the novel virus last week following tests conducted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board.

ZC communications manager Darlington Majonga revealed that an agreement has been reached between ZC and the Afghanistan Cricket Board for the tour, which isn’t part of the Future Tours Programme (FTP), to proceed if it is cleared by the Government.

ZC is also planning to have a domestic competition for clubs as well as games for the women with provisional fixtures for these already in place if they are given permission to host matches.

“We have agreed with Afghanistan to proceed with the tour that we had both committed to prior to the lockdown. However, the tour can only happen if approved by the government and we have since written to the authorities asking for permission to host the event. The same applies to all other cricket activities, including a national club competition that we have been planning. For now, we can only wait for the government’s response to our application,” said Majonga.

Following the recent cancellation of series against Ireland, India, and Australia, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Zimbabwe is desperate for the upcoming visit by Afghanistan to be given the greenlight.

However, the local cricket governing body faces a tough task to get approval for the series to go ahead.

The Zimbabwe Government last week announced it would be tightening the lockdown restrictions in response to the “worrying” statistics which had exceeded 1 600 on Sunday.

The reopening of schools for examination classes scheduled for July 28 has been deferred in light of the rising number of confirmed Covid-19 infections in the Southern African nation.

The post Zimbabwe Cricket Still Hopeful of Afghanistan Series appeared first on Zimbabwe Today.

The Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU) has begun its search for a new substantive national rugby sevens team coach to take over from Gilbert Nyamutsamba, who was relieved of his duties recently.

The local rugby governing body wrote to all national team coaches a fortnight ago, informing them of their decision to advertise their coaching posts, with the exception of the Sables technical team.

The major casualty of the coaching reshuffle was Nyamutsamba, who was head coach of the national sevens side, which is affectionately known as the Cheetahs.

In the advertisement, ZRU said they are seeking a coach with excellent knowledge of the game through playing along with coaching and prior experience in mentoring a high-performance team.

The prospective coach should also possess a World Rugby Level 2 Sevens coaching certificate or equivalent.

The deadline for applications is 17 August.

There are indications that Nyamutsamba could re-apply for the job while other likely contenders for the post include former Cheetahs coaches Daniel Hondo and Liam Middleton.

Bulawayo-based Nyamutsamba has been in charge of the Cheetahs for the last four years since taking over from former national team captain Hondo.

His last international assignment was in February when the Cheetahs took part in the two legs of the inaugural World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series played in Chile and Uruguay.

Zimbabwe finished eighth out of the 16 teams after the conclusion of the tournaments to d qualify for World Rugby Sevens Series Qualifier.

The qualifier was scheduled for early April in Hong Kong but was postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Cheetahs had qualified for the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series by virtue of finishing third at last year’s Africa Men’s Sevens held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Zimbabwe’s sevens side was also scheduled to feature in the final qualifying event for the Olympic Games last month but the tournament was also postponed due to Covid-19.

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MARVELOUS Nakamba’s English Premiership football stint with Aston Villa is teetering on the brink of relegation as the alarm bells ring loudest at Villa Park, just one season after they had returned to the top-flight.

Villa are precariously sitting second from the bottom with relegation looming from one of the world’s elite football leagues following an unconvincing campaign during the 2019/2020 season, which has already been won by Liverpool.

With no margin for error in the last two games, Villa need maximum points to revive their slim chances of survival. They face in-form Arsenal tomorrow night at home before travelling to West Ham on the last day of the campaign on Sunday.

Nakamba’s arrival at Villa Park sparked a flurry of social media discussions and huge interests among the wider Zimbabwean community based mostly in the UK and across the globe, as they intimately posted solidarity messages of support and gratitude for being the only Zimbabwean export at the moment playing at that highest level of top-flight football.

This was a moment for great hope and stoicism for the Zimbabwe Warriors’ partisanship brigade that was wishing to witness the exploits of our own “King Marve” playing against some of the greatest footballers in world football.

His debut game in a Carabao Cup was a real toast as his deft control and a nutmeg on a sprawling opponent excited even our own most popular fan, Chris “Romario” Musekiwa, who went in a frenzy with Nakamba’s cameo as a substitute.

The Aston Villa crusade to stay in the top-flight football could have been dealt a huge blow way back in October as they struggled to post decent results from the onset and alarmingly, their collective defensive duties crumbled without bravery.

The English Premiership is indeed one of the best, exciting and yet unpredictable leagues in Europe as the dominance of the Spanish La Liga is premised on the top three teams (Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid), with just a handful of other teams making up to eight perennial contenders of the same fixtures.

The Italian Serie A league has lost its glamour as the pulling power shifted to the English Premiership that has a far bigger global reach than all these leagues including the German Bundesliga, the Jupiler in Belgium, the French Ligue 1 and all other smaller European leagues.

This great opportunity to represent Zimbabwe in the English Premiership was an arduous journey of the most hard-working spirited footballer but, looking at the log table and the relegation-bound Aston Villa’s position engulfs our hegemonic power of partisanship support for Nakamba into flames. Nakamba’s demise at Villa Park will have a huge dent on our national game without doubt as we ponder on his next move and the image it will have on the quality of our local talent in English football where the likes of Peter Ndlovu, Bruce Grobbelaar and Benjani Mwaruwaru were impressive.

One fact of life with the English Premiership is that it has become so intense, highly competitive, exciting and pulverising. It has become a league where individual form counts less for collective nail-biting defensive duties of containing opponent attacks, to grind decent results that will steady the ship in murky waters.

This is one shortfall on the spreadsheet of Aston Villa’s defence. They failed to produce decent attacks from wide areas usually utilised by their two wing backs who should be pivotal in starting play from the back and progress the build-up in further wider areas of the opponents, encourage and allow their midfield to consolidate their possession and attacking forward play in central midfield or the final third of attacking.

Their central defenders were shaky and less confident in possession of the ball, they were willing to endure hard knocking battles without the ball but, this one stained decadent quality that is no longer consistent with the modern game more so in the English Premiership.

Top English Premiership central defenders are good ball players and that is hugely evident when one watches the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Gomez and Matip of Liverpool who are the champions of the 2019-20 season.

By carefully analysing the teams below Liverpool, this is the minimum expectation of the back four that includes a top goalkeeper and in Villa’s case, they had more than three keepers in this campaign. The stubborn facts of the modern game are all evident for us to see when we take the Villa situation as a case study of how they failed in the English Premiership, much to our disappointment as Nakamba became exposed in their defensive midfield role that was less expansive in starting play from the back and attempt to use the wing backs progressing play in wide areas of the pitch where Villa lacked so much quality and confidence to stretch the game as opposed to their one way dimension of using their talisman Jack Grealish who was the most fouled player in the league.

That tells you a lot about such a faulty strategy that became too obvious to every Tom, Dick and Harry playing against them every week. The pattern was premeditated in every possession build up from the back, one or two passes amongst themselves then, the third pass was earmarked for Grealish and the next thing was a foul to stop him carrying the ball forward.

Villa were a one-man team all day long and this epitomised their glaring lack of quality in their squad. A couple of games where Grealish didn’t feature due to injuries, the performances dropped and the obvious became evident that their star player was out due to injury.

When one looks at other teams that have managed to build good squads in those areas of defensive duties from the goalkeeper right to the defensive midfielders, they’ve done so with greater insight and tactical masterclass planning. Wolves, Leicester City and Sheffield United are some of the best examples of how to compete in the English Premiership.

Nakamba’s verdict is on the big screen as his adventure in the English Premiership comes to a halting dilemma, a comeuppance of failed English Premiership survival that stalks every top footballer whose signature is on a massive financial undertaking. Nakamba’s situation was made worse by lack of forward play, offensive tactical indulgence and goal scoring stats or attempts.

This severely handicapped his expected performance since he had performed well in the UEFA Champions League with former club Club Brugge in Belgium.

Adapting to the English Premiership has become a tough journey to most footballers and Nakamba is not an exception. This is the sad reality of what awaits any top footballer who steps foot in these shores.

The intensity of the game is nerve-wrecking, the pace, skill and guile, extraordinarily edifying our souls as we watch highly competitive games with so much scrutiny and awe.

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ZIFA are today expected to make a full disclosure of how the Covid-19 relief funds were distributed among its affiliates after the association came under a barrage of criticism for lacking transparency.

The association courted controversy when they unveiled a $110 million football rescue package from the US$1.8 million they received from CAF and FIFA as part of the funds to cushion them from the devastating financial effects of the coronavirus lockdown.

However, the local football community was up in arms from day one over the manner the money was distributed and the figures that did not tally with the total amount that ZIFA are set to receive from CAF and FIFA.

ZIFA president Felton Kamambo yesterday said the association has nothing to hide and will present the full list of beneficiaries and the amounts they got.

“I think what happened last week is that, maybe, people misquoted me because I mentioned that we were going to use more than $100 million towards the distribution of Covid-19 funds but I didn’t give full details of the distribution. I then touched on the highlights which were PSL, women’s football and Covid-19 equipment.

“We also have other constituencies that were not listed, like the regions and provinces, NASH, NAPH, Futsal, Tertiary and Beach football which also got their share. We have a full list of the funds and the beneficiaries and I think it will make everything clear.

“As usual, because of the past perceptions of ZIFA, people probably took that to mean that was the full distribution,” said Kamambo.

ZIFA spokesperson, Xolisani Gwesela, said the full list of the Covid-19 distribution will be published today. There have been growing suspicions across the board for the past week with the association accused of lacking transparency. ZIFA also came under fire after they disbursed the funds in local currency.

Some of the stakeholders argued that ZIFA should have distributed the money in the form of the currency that they received it rather than confusing them by changing it to local currency, whose rates keep changing as determined by the movements at the weekly foreign currency auction.

The stakeholders suggested that ZIFA should have encouraged their affiliates to open foreign currency accounts to preserve the value of the money.

A meeting was held at the weekend with the Premier Soccer League, who are their biggest constituency, and ZIFA were forced to review their stance and consider giving the PSL their allocation in hard currency.

“What we are going to do when we distribute these Covid-19 funds, we are going to be very transparent.

“For example, we have made the proposals for distribution as a board but we are now going to move around from one affiliate to the other so that we share notes on the distribution and probably they recommend what they think we should do. This is the same thing we did with the PSL when we invited them (at the weekend) and they gave their input and recommendations.

“After visiting all the other affiliates, we will then sit down as a board, consider the recommendations from all our affiliates and come up with resolutions.

“PSL recommended that they want to be paid in US dollars. We have taken that recommendation but we are not yet making a decision on that because PSL are not the only affiliate that we have.

“We also need to hear the input from other affiliates so that when we get the money we would have taken into account the recommendations from all the concerned affiliates.

“By the way, the money is not here yet. We are going to have a virtual meeting tomorrow (today) of FIFA and all the member associations where we are going to be given the direction on the use of the funds.

“I am sure by the time when we get the funds we would have visited all the affiliates in Zimbabwe. This executive has been transparent in as far as funding is concerned, that’s why we have continued to receive our allocation from FIFA. It’s because we are complying with all that they want,” said Kamambo.

The PSL got the biggest portion from the funds after it was allocated $25 675 000. But from that amount the 18 clubs will share $6.5 million.

This means each club will get approximately US$5 500 directly into their coffers.

The clubs also feel the amount was too little to help with meeting their financial needs in these difficult times when they have to grapple with rentals, salary bills and other operational costs with no football being played.

The Zimbabwe Women’s Soccer League, which exclusively received US$500 000 from FIFA, was handed $32 500 000, which fell just below the total amount when converted using the exchange rate that time.

The other affiliates like referees, NASH, NAPH, Tertiary, Futsal, Beach Soccer and national teams also got their share. The Covid-19 funds distribution has degenerated into a public relations nightmare for ZIFA.

“Transparency is always crucial for good corporate governance. We have seen other member associations doing their disbursements with no such noise as we have witnessed here.

“This issue is creating a public relations disaster for ZIFA. There is no public trust, such issues have arisen time and again at ZIFA and they have to come clean. They must just account for every cent that came in from FIFA and CAF. It’s not that difficult, is it?” said an official. Acting ZIFA vice-president Philemon Machana told reporters at the unveiling of the bailout plan that the disbursements were quoted in local currency for the purposes of reporting since the Zimbabwe dollar is the official currency.

He explained that affiliates will be paid equivalent to their proportions in US dollar terms.

The post Zimbabwe: Zifa’s Disclosure to Douse Flames Over COVID-19 Funds’ Distribution appeared first on Zimbabwe Today.

LILY Blue is proving unstoppable ever since horse racing returned to Borrowdale Park three weeks ago.

She won the Zimbabwe Oaks on Sunday.

The Bridget Stidolph trained runner was outstanding in Sunday’s future race — the 2 000m Zimbabwe Oaks, which attracted a small field.

Her stable companion Prescott finished second, ahead of Candy Cane and Centre Stage.

Lily Blue had veteran jockey, Morgan Nyamagwete, as the pilot.

“Just like a training gallop, it was an easy field but I now look forward to the next races,” said Nyamagwete.

On Sunday Borrowdale Park hosted an eight-race card with the first race being the 1 100m Maiden Juvenile Plate in which eight horses took part.

After a 114-day layoff, VainLikeThat returned to racing.

Master Future started the race unsettled with VainLikeThat and Safiyaa leading by two lengths.

At 600m Obscure and Seattle Swift were at the back while Magnus Maximus joined Safiyaa and VainLikeThat at the 400m mark.

The final race was the 1 200m Pinnacle Plate (95) where Daffiq, with Norbert Takawira on the irons, triumphed.

This was the Terzi’s yard’s fifth winner on Sunday.

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ZIFA are today set to join the rest of the 211 member associations of FIFA in a virtual indaba to discuss the Covid-19 relief funds.

FIFA poured US$1.5 million into the coffers of their members to try and give football a kiss of life after the game was ravaged by the Covid-19 outbreak.

The Zurich-based organisation want to ensure the money gets to the intended beneficiaries.

ZIFA president, Felton Kamambo, will be among the delegates in this meeting, which is expected to give guidelines on how the member associations should go about business in respect of the COVID-19 relief funds.

“Yes, there is a meeting of FIFA member associations,” Kamambo said. “FIFA have invited all the member associations to a video conference where they will give the guidelines on how they want the COVID-19 relief funds used.

“It’s a session where members are going to get clarification and, if there are any questions, the floor will be opened to ask.

“We were supposed to have the meeting (yesterday) but it has moved to tomorrow (today).

“The FIFA COVID-19 funds are a huge source of relief for many associations, and this explains the excitement, and the misconceptions, from some quarters.”

The first batch of the FIFA relief funds is expected to be deposited into the member associations bank accounts on July 31.

Another batch will then be released in January next year.

ZIFA unveiled a $110 million football rescue package from the US$1.8 million allocated to them by CAF and FIFA.

The PSL got the biggest portion from the funds after it was allocated $25 675 000.

From that amount, the 18 clubs will share $6.5 million.

This means each club will get approximately US$5 500 directly into their coffers.

Referees got $2 925 000 while $4.8 million was set aside for baseline testing and $6.5 million for medical equipment.

The country’s 10 provinces got $100 000 each and the same amount was given to the four regions.

The Zimbabwe Women’s Soccer League, which exclusively received US$500 000 from FIFA, were handed $32 500 000.

Other affiliates like Futsal, Area Zone and Beach Soccer got $10 000 each with NASH, NAPH and Tertiary institutions being allocated $5 000 apiece.

The national teams also got their share with $400 000 being set aside for national team games at all levels.

The ZIFA office staff were given $100 000 for general administration and another $90 000 reserved for unnamed contingencies.

With 211 affiliated associations, FIFA support football across the globe financially, and logistically, through various programmes.

As representatives of FIFA in their countries, they have obligations to respect the statutes, aims and ideals of football’s governing body and promote and manage sport accordingly.

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AFTER spending years in the coaching wilderness, before being given a waiver to guide top-flight teams, Moses “Bambo” Chunga was hoping to be in the Chapungu dugout by now.

But, the Covid-19 pandemic has restricted the legendary footballer to his home for the past three months.

There was even a chance Chapungu, who were relegated from the Premiership last season, would be back in the top-tier on a technicality.

But, all that has vanished.

When Herentals had three points docked by the PSL Disciplinary Committee early this year, after being found guilty of allegedly fixing their league game against Black Rhinos last year, Chapungu were primed to replace them in the top-flight league.

However, the Students had that conviction overturned by the ZIFA Appeals Committee.

Chunga, who is also a farmer, said he knew what he was committing himself to when he signed to coach the airmen’s flagship football club.

“Maybe the chance (to play in the PSL) was there but, as far as I am concerned, Chapungu were never in the equation,” Chunga said.

“I accepted the Chapungu job knowing fully that they had been relegated from the top-flight.

“Of course, we occupied the last relegation slot and, maybe, there was a chance we could have been pushed back into the Premiership had things gone the other way round but, who knows.

“What I am more concerned about, at the moment, is building a team which can compete in Division One and then we get back where we belong in the PSL.

“Chapungu is part of the history of Zimbabwean football and we should always be playing against the very top teams and challenging for honours and, hopefully, we can build a team that can do that again.” Chunga said the Covid-19 pandemic had derailed his plans with the Air Force of Zimbabwe team.

“Yes, the coronavirus pandemic has affected us in a big way,” he said.

“Normally, the season would have been approaching the second half but we cannot do anything. Halting the season was the best thing to do and we thank the authorities for that stance.”

Chunga, a holder of CAF B coaching licence, is one of the several big name coaches who have, over the years, been forced to watch from the sidelines as ZIFA no longer allowed anyone without a CAF A license to sit on the bench of any PSL team.

However, Chunga got a reprieve as he won the league title with Gunners in 2009.

The same waiver has been extended to Chicken Inn mentor, Joey Antipas.

Chunga said he will let his work in the ZIFA Central Region Division One league do the talking when football activities eventually resume.

Chapungu have lost a number of their good players, including speedster Ian Nyoni, who is now with CAPS United, as well as goalkeeper Talbert Shumba.

“They say, the taste of the pudding is in the eating. We just have to wait and see,” said Chunga. As for the players, who are no longer with Chapungu, let me say, Chapungu is an institution, a big one for that matter.

“We appreciate the role those players who have played for the team but, we are a big institution, we will always find equally good replacements.”

Recently, Chunga paid a courtesy call on Lands, Agriculture and Rural Settlement Minister, Perrance Shiri, at his offices in Harare.

“You know that I am a farmer, too, and I paid the minister a visit to discuss my farming project,” he said. The minister was heavily involved in the Chapungu project and it’s always important to tap into the knowledge of such senior people so that you understand exactly what you are going into. “As an individual, you should always keep learning.”

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Zimbabwean motorsports sensation Axcil Jefferies will this year partner team principal Ezequiel Companc in the Sprint Cup after being signed by Madpanda Motorsport for the full season of GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS.

Jefferies and Companc will share the No. 90 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo at every GT World Challenge Europe Sprint weekend between August and October this year, racing at Misano, Magny-Cours, Zandvoort and the team’s home track of Barcelona. Madpanda Motorsport is entered in the Silver Cup in both the Sprint and Endurance championships.

Axcil Jefferies (26, ) has proven his skills in a number of GT championships, driving and winning for different manufacturers. Jefferies was born in the UK, but races under a Zimbabwean license and now lives in the UAE.

“I’m really happy and excited to be joining Madpanda Motorsport in a Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo for the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup. Lining up with Ezequiel, I believe we can be competitive and able to fight at the front together. Big thanks to Madpanda Motorsport for the opportunity and for having faith in me. I can’t wait to get started,” said Jefferies.

He is three-time Lamborghini Super Trofeo Middle East champion and previously raced in Formula 2 and Indy Lights.

His partner, Ezequiel Companc (26, from Buenos Aires, Argentina) is Madpanda Motorsport’s founder and team principal and will race with Jefferies throughout the Sprint Cup season. He will also compete at every Endurance Cup round alongside Patrick Assenheimer and Jorge Cabezas Catalan, who were confirmed for the long-distance races last week.

“I’m very pleased to have Axcil on the team this year. He’s a great Silver driver with lots of experience, so I’m sure we’ll have great results. The Sprint races are so fast-paced and the level of competition is unbelievably high, so you need to have a flawless driver lineup. I know we’ve got that, and as a result, I think we have a great chance to fight for Silver Cup wins and the championship,”Companc, noted.

Jefferies and Companc’s first Sprint race is a triple-header at Misano, Italy, on August 8-9. Prior to that, Companc, Assenheimer and Cabezas Catalan will race this weekend (Sunday, July 26) in the three-hour Endurance Cup opener at Imola, Italy.

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