Fifa bans former Zimbabwe football official over sexual harassment

World governing body Fifa has bannedformer secretary general of the Zimbabwe Football Association’s referees committee Obert Zhoyafrom all football-related activities for five years after finding him guilty of sexually harassing three female officials.

“The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has banned Mr Obert Zhoya, former secretary general of the referees committee of the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) from all football-related activities for a duration of five years, after having found him guilty of abusing his position to sexually harass three female Zifa referees,” read a statement from Fifa on Thursday.

“Upon careful analysis of the written statements of the victims as well as the various evidence collected during the investigations conducted by the investigatory chamber, the adjudicatory chamber was comfortably satisfied that Mr Zhoya had breached art. 23 (Protection of physical and mental integrity), art. 25 (Abuse of position) and, by corollary, art. 13 (General duties) of the Code of Ethics.”