Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation Minister Kirsty Coventry Tuesday morning said she was livid with the way the football mother body, Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) is conducting its business and its lackadaisical approach to football matters.
In a series of tweets, the angry Coventry accused ZIFA of neglecting the Women’s national football but had the temerity to request funds from the government for the Warriors trip to Djibouti for a date against Somalia in a World Cup Qualifiers.
On Sunday ZIFA embarrassed the whole nation and sundry when it failed to assemble a team for a return leg against neighbours Zambia in a 2020 Olympics Qualifier.
“I asked the ZIFA Chair for a meeting to discuss the women’s qualifying debacle on Sunday he proceeded to ask the government for money for the Men’s Team to travel tomorrow! I have had enough of Women’s sport not being taken seriously in Zimbabwe,’ she said.
In another tweet, Coventry said ZIFA and Zimbabwe Cricket must stop asking money from the government as the two associations benefit from their international federations, she said the money must be accounted for
“Government took on #ZimCricket debt but told not to interfere. #ZIFA once again asks for more money but the government told not to interfere. This is tax payer’s money you are ‘playing’ with! Both these associations get huge amounts of money from their international federation – where is it?
“Asking for money alone is not asking for help. You need help in restructuring everything from the ground up and I have been willing and ready (from the beginning) to work with @CAF_Online and @FIFAcom and @ICC and any other organization to make Zimbabwe a Sporting Powerhouse,’ she noted.
