The integrity of the Zifa Central Soccer League (CSL) has been questioned after Whawha admitted that it paid referees before the match had even been played. This has raised a stink with some other clubs because under the CSL’s regulations clubs should not know the identities of the match officials before the day of the match. The issue is now being death with Zifa Vice President Omega Sibanda
CSL board member for marketing and corporate affairs Pithius Shoko said:
The issue was discussed to the effect that there is a club which approached referees a day before their match day to get their account numbers to facilitate match day payments. This was done outside the structures of the Zifa Central Region League management and we have taken the issue with Zifa vice-president Omega Sibanda.
To worsen the situation the club, which is Whawha, has its chairperson sitting in the Zifa Referees’ Committee where she is the secretary of that committee.
However, Whawha official Musa Ntonga said:
I do not see anything wrong with our actions because I communicated this with the referees’ vice-chairman Gladmore Muzambi, who gave us the greenlight. The challenge we found ourselves with was that we did not have access to cash and our internal procedures would mean that the match officials will get their money after a week if we do not deposit their money prior to the match.
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