Benjani Mwaruwari, a former forward for Manchester City, is contesting a recent decision that has barred him from running for the position of president of Zimbabwe’s soccer governing body.

The 46-year-old player, who previously played for Portsmouth, Sunderland, and Blackburn in the Premier League, submitted his nomination to lead the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) last week. However, an ethics panel within the organization announced on Monday that Mwaruwari was not among those deemed qualified to participate in the upcoming elections set for January, offering no immediate explanation for their decision.

Mwaruwari’s legal representatives expressed discontent with the ruling, filing an appeal on his behalf. They formally requested ZIFA’s interim head, Lincoln Mutasa, to provide a detailed written statement explaining the committee’s determination that Mwaruwari did not meet the eligibility requirements outlined in ZIFA’s regulations.

The situation comes in the wake of Zimbabwe being overseen by a normalization committee appointed by FIFA since July 2023, following the lifting of a 17-month international ban due to governmental interference in soccer affairs.

The ZIFA elections are scheduled for late January, and despite his current exclusion, Mwaruwari still has the opportunity to pursue his candidacy through an appeals process within the federation.

Another candidate who has faced a similar exclusion from the ZIFA race is Walter Magaya, a well-known local religious leader. Magaya, who is also a founder of Yadah FC, a club competing in Zimbabwe’s top league, has garnered popularity and controversy alike in his bid for the presidency.