Magaya has also approached the High Court, seeking to suspend the ZIFA elections until his matter has been resolved with CAS.

The case was heard in the High Court on Wednesday, with Justice Tawanda Chitapi saying the matter was urgent and would be heard on Friday. Magaya’s statement of appeal reads:

In the present appeal, appellant is requesting the Court of Arbitration for Sport to appoint a tribunal to determine an appeal against the decision of the Zimbabwe Football Association as represented by the first respondent (Lincoln Mutasa) to disqualify the appellant from the ongoing elections for the president of ZIFA.

It was concluded that the appellant did not meet the necessary criteria to proceed as a candidate, specifically due to the non-submission of his Ordinary Level certificates.

Magaya contends that the electoral committee failed in its interpretation of the “minimum of five O’ Level or equivalent” requirement.

He argued that this provision is discriminatory and was deliberately set to exclude administrators and former players from the administration of the game.

Magaya, who also owns the Premier Soccer League club Yadah, said that with a marketing certificate, marketing diploma, and theology diploma, he was above the minimum requirements. He argued:

The appellant seeks a determination that a proper and purposive interpretation of the statutes supports the view that his qualifications, which include a higher certificate in Marketing, a national diploma in Marketing, and a higher certificate in Theology (Cum laude), are not equivalent but are better that a mere five O’ Levels.

They exceed the O’ Level certificate requirement and must be accepted for purposes of contesting the ZIFA presidency.

Magaya is requesting “a decision allowing the appeal by the appellant” and that “the decision of the ZIFA Normalisation Committee disqualifying the appellant as a candidate for the Zimbabwe Football Association executive election for non-submission of Ordinary Level certificates be set aside.”

Magaya has also asked the court to order the first and second respondents (ZIFA and the Normalisation Committee) to “jointly pay the full costs of the tribunal and that of the appellant.”

This development comes as another high-profile figure, Temba Mliswa, who was also barred from contesting the ZIFA elections, has taken the association to court in a bid to stop the elections.

Mliswa’s matter will be heard this week, with the court also deeming it urgent.

More: Pindula News