Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) have dismissed reports that they subjected the national U-17 girls team to horrible conditions in camp prior to the World Cup qualifier return leg against Botswana on Sunday.
Zimbabwe faced Botswana in Bulawayo seeking to overturn the 0-5 defeat suffered in the first leg but it was events in the build up to the encounter which put the Felton Kamambo-led administration under scrutiny after veteran broadcaster Ezra ‘Tshisa’ Sibanda accused them of treating the girls like “prisoners.”
Sibanda, who resides in the UK but currently in the country, recorded live videos on his Facebook page to substantiate his arguments, accusing the football fathers of making the girls camp under awful conditions at Eveline High School, allegations which they (ZIFA), vehemently denied via a statement released on Monday.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) is dismayed at the falsehoods propagated by one Ezra Sibanda regarding the Under 17 girls camp in Bulawayo.
The team camped at Eveline High school in Bulawayo for the World cup qualifier return leg match against Botswana this past Sunday .
The camp was smooth and Eveline High School has one of the best boarding facilities in the City of Kings .
As an Association we are not aware of any problems encountered during the camp as alleged by Mr Sibanda .
It is clear that Ezra Sibanda is lying , grandstanding and attention seeking. How did he (Sibanda) get to know of this unique girls’ requirements as a man?
The Young Mighty Warriors enjoyed all the support from the Association.
The Association truly values sponsorship from those who genuinely want to assist and do not ambush the team while in camp armed with cameras.
The behaviour exhibited by Mr Sibanda and his colleagues is wholly unprofessional and akin to spying on the girls privacy.
It is important to stress that donors and sponsors go to Zifa offices just like what Herrentals did.
Ezra Sibanda had a sinister agenda hence he was kindly asked to formally approach Zifa offices with his so called “donation” but opted to go on Twitter. It has now become clear his mission was never to donate but create chaos as they mastered these acts each time our teams are in camp.
The Association is fully aware that Ezra is another Phillip Chiyangwa stooge and is also helping his brother Omega Sibanda to cause chaos within the beautiful game of football.
While Omega was causing a scene in South Africa as Chiyangwa’s bodyguard, Ezra was trying to infiltrate the young girls camp.
Zifa intelligence picked it up and dealt with his case accordingly and another match fixing disaster was averted. We have noted with concern Ezra’s threatening phone calls he did to our board member development Mr Malandule including an attempt to include the name of his place of employment all in the vein hope of disrupting an innocent citizen and office bearer’s life. Zifa will soon be taking action on this unwarranted behaviour which is thuggish and outright unprofessional.
Such charlatan behaviour from people who pretend to be football partners, is shameless and barbaric especially when such embarrasing spying acts are perpetrated on the girl child,” read the statement.