HOW Mine have confirmed they will take part in the Caf Confederation Cup next season after reaching the final of the Mbada Diamonds Cup.
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Club chairman Mlondolozi Nkomo emerged from a meeting yesterday to announce that they would participate.
“We have taken a position as a company that we will participate in the Caf Confederation Cup tournament. We deliberated on this because we needed to consider the implications of taking part in the tournament.
“At the meeting, we decided to allow the boys to participate especially after we considered what they have achieved so far. We felt it would be fair to allow them to play in Africa because it will give them international exposure and they will also get valuable experience which will also benefit the club,” Nkomo said.
This is because Highlanders are still serving a ban from the intercontinental club competitions after they violated the regulations of the tournament when they withdrew from their two matches against Nchanga of Zambia in the Caf Confederations Cup in 2011 (Zifa had registered Bosso despite the fact the club had indicated non-participation).
In confirming that Highlanders’ ban remained in force, Zifa in a statement said: “We would like to inform the football fraternity and the nation that Highlanders FC is not eligible to participate in Caf interclubs competitions until 2014.
“We have received confirmation from Caf to the effect that it is not possible to engage Highlanders to take part in Caf interclub competitions 2014.
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“Caf cited that in 2011, Highlanders withdrew from matches 21 and 22: Highlanders (Zimbabwe) v Nchanga (Zambia) in Caf Confederation Cup.
“Consequently, Highlanders FC was found guilty of violating Chapter V, Article 13 of Confederation Cup regulations which stipulates that: ‘Every club withdrawing from the competition after the establishment of the fixtures will be forbidden from participating in all Caf interclub competitions for three years following its withdrawal’.”
Highlanders had approached Zifa to appeal to Caf on their behalf to reverse the ban, but to no avail.
In adherence to the said article, Highlanders FC remains suspended for three years following the withdrawal, for 2012, 2013 and 2014.
“We have written to our affiliate PSL to confirm to the association the two teams that are going to take part in Caf interclubs competitions 2014. The association has also asked PSL to check on the preparedness of the two teams to participate in the said competitions,” the statement read.
Zifa have until Saturday to register teams for both the African Champions League and the Caf Confederation Cup tournaments.
