ZIMBABWE – HARARE – Soccer fans have called for a strong reprimand of Monomotapa Football Club after it masqueraded as the Zimbabwe national team in Malaysia where they played a lowly-rated local team and were thoroughly beaten.

 

The action risks causing a slide in Zimbabwe’s FIFA rankings, and by implication costing local players who might want to ply their trade in foreign lands.

 

 

In Europe, to qualify for club level, a player must be from a country within the top 100 FIFA rankings.

 

 

Monomotapa played two ’international friendlies” with the Malaysia national team last Saturday.
Monomotapa lost the matches 4-0 on Sunday, followed up with a 1-0 victory on Tuesday.

In the scandalous affair, Monomotapa did not only pose as the national team, but also played their two games using the national team’s colours.

Now the Football Association of Malaysia is accusing ZIFA of lacking respect and questionable integrity after it was duped into believing Monomotapa were the Zimbabwe national team.

Malaysia coach K. Rajagopal is quoted saying “I was told that this is the Zimbabwean national team. I will need to check on this and only then can I speak my mind over the matter.”

Following Sunday’s defeat, Monos coach Dhlakama insisted he was the national team coach, reported the Malay Mail newspaper. Monomotapa assistant coach Taurayo Mangwiro went a gear up in their deception drive by even addressing the Malaysian claiming he was a member of the Warriors’ technical staff.

He said: “Since we have failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, we will now gather again and train hard for our coming international (friendly) matches.”

ZIFA chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya on Thursday said her scandal prone association had sanctioned the Monomotapa trip after receiving the invitation from their Malaysian counterparts.

Rushwaya said ZIFA had decided to settle on Monomotapa after they realised that the international friendlies “would not be of benefit to the Warriors as they do not have any immediate assignments”.

“Having looked at the Warriors’ programme and felt that the national team really had nothing to benefit from these matches and in view of the fact that the invitation came late for ZIFA to put together a team, we extended the invitation to Monomotapa because they were the ones who would benefit more in light of their Champions League assignments,” Rushwaya said.

Asked on why then did Monomotapa play using national team colours she said that the Warriors kit was “not branded” and made it difficult for her association to stop any team from using the national colours”.

“Whilst it is not right to use the national colours, we cannot stop anyone from using the kit,” she said.

The story has been picked up by State television at home and has caused a storm in this soccer-loving nation. Monos were flying back home today.

 

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“This is bullshit,” charged soccer supporter Jerry of Mbare. “They have to suffer the most severe form of punishment for this. They brought the national team’s good name into disrepute and should face the music.”

A member of the soccer supporters association said ZIFA should fully explain to the nation what transpired and how Monos ended up wearing national team colours.

“It shows contempt for the national team and they cant get away with this, never,” he said.

Joice Murota, a staunch kepe-kepe supporter said Monos should be suspended from the league, have points deducted and paid hefty sums of money as punishment. he said the involvement of Henrietta Rushwaya in this scam should also be probed.

She said her explanation that the kit was not branded was convincing at all.

“Its a stupid excuse,” Murota said. “We should respect our national symbols. You cant have this kind of mischief and let it go unpunished. They have to be strongly reprimanded.”

 

 

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