Zouzoua: I'm not responsible for Yanga ban

04/05/2024 11:21

Young Africans midfielder Pacome Zouzoua has denied allegations that he is the player cited in a FIFA ban handed down to the Tanzanian giants.

On April 12, the Tanzanian Football Federation announced that Yanga has been hit with a ban on signing players, having allegedly breached Article 3 of the transfer rules, as stipulated by FIFA.

The Mainland Premier League champions are also accused of failing to register some of their players in the Transfer Matching System, as required by the world governing body.

Speculation has been rife that Ivorian Zouzoua is the player at the centre of the controversy, with pundits adding that the club is exaggerating an injury for the midfielder to avoid further penalties.

However, the 27-year-old insists that this is not the case. He claims to be fit and available to play, and is hoping for game time under coach Miguel Gamondi.

"I'm perfectly fine, I have been following special exercise programmes designed by my fitness coach," Zouzoua is quoted by The Guardian.

"I've also been undergoing treatment and doing gym exercises for several weeks, along with other programs to maintain my fitness."

On his lack of action, he added: "Honestly, I wouldn't mind even 10 or 15 minutes of playing time."

The midfielder continued: "I believe I can get back to form and continue supporting my teammates in achieving victory in every match. Our goal is to defend our titles, including the federation championship and the NBC Premier League title.

"We know there are difficulties, but we're doing everything we can to perform well and achieve our goals, ultimately bringing joy to our fans."

Yanga are eight points clear at the top of the Premier League standings with six rounds to play. They will be away to Mashujaa FC on Sunday afternoon.