By McGeorge Mbare
AFTER several social media posts that went viral alleging that Blanket Mine fielded suspended goalkeeper Norbert Matiya, the club says it has not yet received any formal communication from the Zimbabwe Football Association regarding the matter .
Blanket Mine fielded Matiya in their match against ZRP Gwanda despite the goalkeeper reportedly receiving his third yellow card in the previous fixture against Sabi Gold Mine.
According to the Central Region Soccer league suspension list,Matiya was subsequently suspended and officially ruled out of the match against Shurugwi, in which Blanket Mine left him out of the squad.
Speaking to Ziyah News Network, Blanket Mine Secretary-General Observe Mago said the club had not received any official communication from the mother body concerning the alleged suspension.
“It is difficult to defend ourselves or comment extensively on these rumours because the mother body has not formally communicated with us to indicate that we have an issue. We are only seeing these reports on social media. If we receive formal communication stating that we have violated any regulations, we will certainly comment,” Mago said.
Despite the allegations circulating on social media, Blanket Mine coach Petros Jukulile expressed confidence that the club was following and adhering to ZIFA’s regulations, including those relating to player suspensions and other important procedures.
Jukulile said he and his team remained determined to compete fairly and pursue the championship title
“These are just rumours, and they will not shake us or dampen our competitive spirit because we follow the mother body’s procedures and adhere to all its regulations. We will remain focused on winning the title, which is the only thing we are concerned about and continue to pursue. They may try to disrupt us, but we are competing fairly, as required by the mother body,” Jukulile said.
Jukulile also confirmed that Matiya was eligible to feature against ZRP Gwanda, arguing that the goalkeeper had served his suspension on Matchday 32, as indicated on the Central Region suspension list.