CONTROVERSIAL Women’s soccer league board member Cecilia Gambe has been banned for two years from all football activities by the Zimbabwe football Association (ZIFA) following her violent conduct against a referee during a top flight match at Sakubva in May.

Gambe was found guilty by the ZIFA Disciplinary Committee which sat this week to deliberate on her issue after she invaded the pitch during a Premiership match between Mutare City and How Mine.

Initially, the Committee which is chaired by Victor Matipano, deputized by Musa Ntonga slapped the administrator with a ten-year ban which was then reduced to two years.

This means Gambe, who was the deputy chairperson of women’s football interim committee which is holding fort until elections are held on November 19 ceases to be a member forthwith, leaving chairperson Elizabeth Langa to go it alone until a new leadership is ushered next month.

Gambe, who is based in Mutare made a middle finger obscene gesture to Rusape referee Brighton Chimene who had shown a red card to Mutare City Derby Duri.

After her dark act, Gambe made her situation worse in an interview she granted to our sister paper Manica Post that she was not on ZIFA business when she entered Sakubva so there was nothing wrong with her actions.

“What has that to do with me being a ZIFA official? I paid my $3 to get into the stadium as a supporter and I was only expressing my love for my team. Whatever I did was in my personal capacity and nothing to do with ZIFA.

“After all, how do you know if I was pursuing my personal issue with that referee? He could have owed me money and probably that was the only time I had found a chance to approach him,” said Gambe.

Gambe’s prohibition will serve as a warning to other would be offenders as ZIFA battles to contain violence at football matches.