Former Man City player Benjani challenges ruling in bid to lead Zim's football federation

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Former Manchester City forward Benjani Mwaruwari on Tuesday challenged a ruling to block him from potentially becoming the new head of Zimbabwe’s football federation.

Benjani, who also played for Portsmouth, Sunderland and Blackburn in the Premier League, last week filed his nomination to become the next president of the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa). But an ethics committee of the association on Monday didn’t include the 46-year-old among those eligible to contest the January elections, without immediately giving a reason.

“Our client is aggrieved by your committee’s decision and he intends to appeal ... without any further delay,” the player’s lawyers wrote to Zifa’s interim boss Lincoln Mutasa.

“We are instructed by our client to humbly request that you urgently provide us with full written reasons why your committee concluded that Mr. Benjani Mwaruwari fails to meet eligibility criteria stipulated in the ZIFA statutes.”

Zimbabwe has been under a FIFA-appointed normalization committee since July 2023 when football’s governing body lifted the southern African country’s 17-month international ban caused by government interference.

A new executive will be elected in late January.

Former Zimbabwe international Benjani still has a chance, however, through an appeals committee of the federation.

Another prospective ZIFA president barred by the ethics committee is a controversial but popular local cleric, Walter Magaya. The church founder owns Yadah FC, a club in Zimbabwe’s top tier.