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Sports Reporter
WARRIORS team manager Shariff Mussa was forced to use his personal funds to bail out some members of the so-called Friends of the Warriors in Comoros who caused a scene at the airport as they could not raise the $50 needed, per individual, for their visas to be processed.

The Friends of the Warriors are largely seen as a creation of the ZIFA Board to counter the Zimbabwe National Soccer Supporters Association whose leadership has been critical of the way the game is run in the country.

How some of these people found their way onto the plane, when the Sports Commission had made it clear that every supporter should pay $450, inclusive of the visa application fee, remains a mystery.

But, given that they are well connected to the domestic football leadership, maybe it explains why they were given preferential treatment, even though they did not meet the conditions, only for everything to backfire in Comoros.

In sharp contrast, many fans, seen as being members of ZNSSA, were frustrated when they went to ZIFA to try and pay for the trip, with some of them abandoning the trip.

One such fan, Chris “Romario” Musekiwa, ended up asking for the intervention of the Sports Commission, for his money to be accepted, after he was moved from one office to the other in an apparent attempt to frustrate him from making the trip.

Musekiwa had the money required but he is seen as having been critical of the Association on social media, in recent months, and there were attempts to try and frustrate him from making the trip to support his Warriors.

“I nearly became a victim of the ZIFA politics, ndanga ndatsvairwa pandege despite the fact I had my money and passport ready,” Musekiwa told The Herald.

“I went to pay at ZIFA around 5pm only to be moved from one official to another for the form to be approved.

“This was when I noticed there was some serious politics at play. I was told that I had criticised ZIFA on Dotcoms (DeMbare Dotcoms, a Facebook page) when we got booted out of the World Cup qualifiers.

“I told them that I was not going to beg them to be on that flight given that I had my money and documents ready.

“I called Colonel Nhemachena (Sports Commission director general) and that’s when my money was accepted and receipted by an official from the Sports Commission. Football politics is destroying our game but I will die supporting my Warriors.”

It was revealed last night that some of the fans might have been given free seats in response for their support for the Association.

On arrival at Moroni International Airport in Comoros, some of them did not have money to pay for the visas.

Head of delegation, Fungai Chihuri, a ZIFA Board member, said he was not the leader of the fans but the players and the technical staff.

Mussa came to the rescue paying US$410 as some of the fans had managed to pay $20 and $30 and needed their payments to be topped up.

ZIFA spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela yesterday chose to downplay the incident and said there was just a slight misunderstanding on the conversion rates.

“The Sports Commission had advertised that supporters should have 30 euros for visas so when we were in Comoros and now trying to process the visas they (the fans) were not agreeable with the exchange rate which was being used by the Comoros authorities and they said it was supposed to be $36 for 30 euros and refused to pay $50 as they felt they were being ripped off.

“So a well-wisher paid off the difference and it is not Shariff Mussa who paid the money.

“But the well-wisher wants his money back from them and they agreed that they would give him here.

“I am not sure about having their passport confiscated until they return his money. But he wants his money back

“All the supporters had been told they should have enough income for their upkeep in Comoros,” said Gwesela.