Courtesy: Newsday


Safa bails out Zifa

by Henry Mhara

18/5/2012

The South African Football Association (Safa) has come to the rescue of Zifa after they offered to buy air tickets for the Zimbabwe national Futsal (five-aside) team so they can travel to South Africa for a Fifa Futsal World Cup qualifier. The two neighbours clash in the first round, second leg qualifier at the Wembley Stadium in Turfontein, the venue that hosted the first leg. Kick-off is 6pm.
Zimbabwe was forced to play the reverse fixture in South Africa after the Confederation of African Football (Caf) condemned Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex, the venue that had been set for the second leg.

However, the trip to South Africa looked in danger as Zifa battled to raise funds for the team.

That was until Safa came to the rescue.

“Safa agreed to pay for return airfares for the team. They will also pay for the match venue and the venue for the pre-match meeting. They said they will also provide buses that will carry the Zimbabwe team. The team should be leaving the country tomorrow (today) morning,” said Zifa communications manager Nicky Dlamini yesterday.

“Zimbabwe will pay for the team’s accommodation and also for air tickets for match officials. We will also have to foot the bills for the match officials’ transport in South Africa and their accommodation,” she added.

The match will be handled by referees from Angola, the same officials that handled the first leg.
Manuel Nancari will be at the centre, assisted by Francisco Katemo and Manuel Panheiro. Pedro Jalane will be the fourth official, while David Fani of Botswana will be the match commissioner.

Caf had initially wanted the match to be a one-off saying Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex was unfit to host the reverse fixture.

“There were some issues with the venue that needed to be fixed and we had hoped relevant authorities would have fixed them by the time for the match. That has not happened, so we had no choice but to move the match to South Africa,” said Dlamini.

Meanwhile, the South African national Futsal team is confident of progressing to the second round after their 4-2 first leg win.

“We had a good match in the first leg, but a very difficult one at the same time as they are a strong side. But now we know what we need to do as we have studied their playing style. This week is all about rectifying some minor errors that we saw in the previous match and ensure we don’t repeat them so we can get to the next round,” said coach Allies Quinton.



Courtesy: All Africa


Gunners Threaten to Boycott Match Over Futsal Trio

by Augustine Hwata

19 May 2012

GUNNERS were last night threatening to boycott their Castle Lager Premiership tie against FC Platinum at Mandava set for this afternoon after the Harare side provided three of their players to the national five-a-side team which went to South Africa for the Fifa Futsal World Cup qualifiers.

Chando Kupisa yesterday released their players just before their scheduled departure for Zvishavane, throwing their travelling plans for this afternoon's tie in doubt. The trio of Wellington Kamudyariwa, Moses Muchenje and Farai Madora were part of the Zimbabwe Futsal team that left for Johannesburg yesterday.

Zimbabwe were supposed to host the Futsal reverse fixture at Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex after South Africa had hosted and won the first leg 4-2.

But Caf condemned the Chitungwiza venue and South Africa agreed to host the reverse fixture again.

There is more controversy to the reverse fixture after Caf availed air tickets for their opponents to fly for this leg while the match has also torched a potential storm for the local Premiership. Gunners operations director, Wellington Mupandare, yesterday said they were not in a position to fulfil the game today.

"We have three players who have gone to the Futsal qualifiers under the auspices of Zifa. It's a national team and the rules state that a team can opt not to play a fixture if they provide three or more players to a national team.

"Zifa selected our players for this national duty and we have communicated our precarious position to PSL.

"However, PSL are adamant that the league game should go ahead and insist that our players risk being de-registered if they play five-a-side football.

"But I think that is for Zifa to spell out since they are the ones who called up our players," said Mupandare. Mupandare said Gunners suffered a defeat to Chicken Inn two weeks ago after they went to Bulawayo without the trio. However, in any normal league around the world, Futsal players do not play conventional soccer and could only do so on a social level.

Meanwhile, Zifa have defended their stance to receive support from the South African Football Association to fly the Futsal team to South Africa. In a move that some quarters feel will compromise their results, Zifa received air tickets to fly the Futsal team to South Africa yesterday. Zifa communications manager Nicky Dhlamini, however, said there was nothing sinister in them getting a helping hand from Safa.

"Our venue was condemned after the game with Sudan and we had opted to play a one-off leg in South Africa. "However, Safa were not willing and we then agreed to host them at their facilities.

"But because Zifa is facing financial challenges, Safa only bought us air tickets but we are taking care of all the other expenses just like we would do if we were hosting the South Africans at home," said Dhlamini.




Courtesy: Newsday


Zimbabwe hope to overturn deficit

19/05/2012

Zimbabwe national Futsal (five-aside) team will be looking to overturn a two-goal deficit when they play South Africa in a Fifa Futsal World Cup, first round, second leg qualifier at Wembley Stadium in Turfontein, south of Johannesburg, this evening.
The match kicks off at 6pm.

Zimbabwe, who are chasing a 4-2 first leg shortfall, are the home team despite playing the match away in South Africa.

Zifa was forced to move the match to Wembley Stadium, the venue that hosted the first leg, after the Confederations of African Football (Caf) condemned Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex as unfit to host the reverse fixture.

A 21-member Zimbabwe delegation flew out of the country yesterday morning ahead of the match. Coach Frank Farakezi made two changes to the team that took part in the first leg, bringing in Clifton Chitsamba and Farai Madora in place of Mario Mabhacho and Tawanda Tambala. Cosmas Muguzumbi, who played in the first leg, was also dropped.

Zimbabwe’s hopes of progressing to the next round will be pinned on the scoring prowess of strikers Gift Mugabe and Bernard Chipurura.
The duo scored the two away goals in the first leg that could prove very decisive. Farakezi’s men need to win the match by two clear goals to progress to the next round. The winner of the tie will face Libya in the second and final round of qualifiers set for the weekend of June 8-10.

Final 14 travelling squad:
Bhekuvuyo Dlamini, Ambrose Kunaka, Gift Mugabe, Bernard Chipurura, Vengai Mafusire, Wellington Kamudyariwa, Marshall Phiri, Gilmore Nengomasha, Terrence Chitsamba, Itai Kanyati, Moses Muchenje, Fungai Mukayira, Clifton Chitsamba, Farai Madora.




Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com