By Steve Vickers BBC Sport, Harare

Fifa has ruled that Pamire is in charge

The crisis within Zimbabwean football has worsened, as two rival factions fight for control of the country's Football Association, Zifa.

Fifa has ruled that the board led by acting chairman Vincent Pamire is the legitmate authority but the government-run sports commission is backing another board led by Charles Westerfall.

Westerfall has the backing of sports minister Aeneas Chigwedere.

The Zifa council had previously voted to remove Pamire from his post but a subsequent meeting, attended by Fifa representative Ashford Mamelodi, nullified the no-confidence vote.

Fifa general secretary Urs Linsi has told Zifa that preparations should continue for fresh elections to be held by 30 September.

"Fifa hopes that all the parties will now commit themselves to prepare for the elections with the only objective of giving football in Zimbabwe a new and solid basis," wrote Linsi in a recent letter.

But there are few signs that the warring parties have buried the hatchet.

Westerfall disputes the validity of the Fifa-backed meeting

"It's very unfair to acknowledge that the recent meeting was genuine and I can't accept it," said Westerfall.

Edgar Rogers, who was suspended from his Zifa chief executive post by Pamire, claimed the meeting attended by the Fifa representative was not properly constituted.

"That meeting was a fraud, it didn't have a quorum and it's being challenged," Edgar Rogers told BBC Sport website.

Rogers continues to work at Zifa's headquarters in Harare despite his suspension.