EMBATTLED Zifa president Cuthbert Dube barely survived another attempt to push him out yesterday but signs are increasingly looking ominous for the hugely unpopular administrator.
Attempts by miffed Zifa councillors to send Dube packing came unstuck on a technicality, for the second time in as many months.
A meeting has now been set for 3 October when the Zifa supremo is likely to have his mandate revoked.
However, with his ship hitting turbulent waters a defiant Dube last night told a Press conference he is not going anywhere.
“I am more than 99 percent confident I will survive on October 3,” said Dube.
“The meeting will be convened because it’s a resolution of the Assembly but it still has to go to vote. In the meantime I cannot step down because people are saying our (national) teams are not participating in competitions.”
Things got so heated and the riot police had to be called in to calm the situation on a day that also saw members of the Lifelong Footballers Trust of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Soccer Supporters Association and the Women Soccer Pioneers of Zimbabwe demonstrating against Dube.
The drama unfolded as the rest of the football playing world went into the hat for the 2018 World Cup draw in St Petersburg, Russia. Zimbabwe was not among those nations after being expelled by Fifa for failing to pay former coach Valinhos his dues.
The Brazilian is owed over $80 million.
The absence of the country from the 2018 World Cup journey was the first heat point.
Councillors questioned why Zifa had not used the money it got from the Premier Soccer League as affiliation fees to settle the debt.
Dube shot back saying he had used the money to settle the debt Zifa owed hospitality concern Pandhari Hotels who had successfully applied for the attachment of his property.
“There was no way I could have let my personal property go because of a debt Zifa owes,” Dube is said to have told the meeting that was also attended by Fifa representative Ashford Mamelodi.
The response triggered calls for Dube to step down with central region chairperson Felton Kamambo daring the Zifa boss to put the matter to vote.
An uneasy Dube argued the issue of his recalling was not on the agenda and could not be discussed during yesterday’s meeting.
Mamelodi concurred.
Northern Region chairman Willard Manyengavana then accused the Zifa secretariat, led by chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze, of deliberately excluding the item from the agenda.
Mamelodi then advised the councillors to give a three-month notice about their desire to pass a vote of no confidence in Dube and other members of his board.
Concerns were raised that Dube would use the three-month period to suspend councillors whom he suspects will back the move to jettison him.
“No you are safe. Fifa will not recognise any suspensions during this period. I know you are aggrieved but you have to trust Fifa. Fifa will respect the decisions made at this meeting,” Mamelodi is said to have assured the restless councillors.
Although they left Zifa Village having come short of giving Dube the boot, the majority of councillors were content with the blows they landed on the Zifa president and his cabal of Mashingaidze, Fungai Chihuri, John Phiri and Twine Phiri.