Fans speak out re ZIFA presidency

Mutare – With the national’s football governing body hot seat up for grabs, Pungwe Sport conducted a snap survey where soccer fans expressed the need for a former player to take the helm at Livingstone House.

Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) is currently without a president after incumbent Cuthbert Dube succumbed to mounting pressure and resigned, paving way for election on 5 December 2015.

While soccer fans from various walks of life had something to say, the most prominent issue they raised was the need for a former player who understands the need of player to lead ZIFA.

Various names have already been thrown into the hat, with front runner Philip Chiyangwa proving to be the people’s favourite to lead ZIFA.

Farai Zulu from Dangamvura said having a person of Chiyangwa’s calibre leading ZIFA would ameliorate financial difficulties which are always besetting the association.

He said having such a prominent businessman leading ZIFA would benefit the nation in the long run, particularly whenever there is need for financial bailing out.

“Chiyangwa might be the best candidate given the fact that he already has money and having him lead ZIFA means the association will not have problems in situations where there is no money. At least Chiyangwa can bail us out because he is already a rich person,” he said.

Alongside Chiyangwa’s name were whispers that enigmatic leader of Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) ministries Magaya would also enter into the race.

While the man of cloth distanced himself from the post fans here had already dismissed him for lack of experience in football, despite owning a football club.

One fan who identified himself as Sekuru Muchina said the likes of Magaya and Chiyangwa should not be considered because of their relative wealth but for what they can offer to ZIFA.

“We don’t want Magaya akamboita zvebhora here ndewechurch ngaarambe ariku (has been involved in football he should just stay in the church domain) church, or Chiyangwa, why consider them? Is it because of money?

“What we need is a former player, munhu akatamba bhora (for a former player) understands better amwe ma players ake (his fellow professionals) and will put this house in order,” he said.

Asked on the priorities of fans Muchina said, “Isu chatinoda ibhora chete kuti rinakidze (All we want is good football) and for ZIFA to look at grassroots and also nyaya yema (the issue of) gate charges, they should do something about that issues forthwith. The Zifa president must look at all regions without bias.”

Thomson Hondoyemoto said as youths they expected the setting up of a junior league that is run professionally to identify talent in areas where there are good prospects.

Hondoyemoto said there is need for strategic identification of talent and the sting up of world class infrastructure to enable the country to host bigger footballing tournaments.

“We need someone like Chiyangwa to lead our soccer in Zimbabwe because he already has resources and it’s easier for him to generate and mobiles more funds for the national rather than someone who is poor, they will only milk the coffers of ZIFA dry without any progress.

“Someone like Chiyangwa will ensure that we have good infrastructure because that’s one area where we are lacking and if we have someone who can have stadiums built at least our country will be able to host big tournaments and that will inspire our youngsters.”

On nurturing talent, Hondoyemoto said, “It is better that we identify areas where there is talent, for example in Bulawayo we have a lot of untapped talent and if we then prioritize such areas and be strategic we can make in the international soccer scene.”

Lloyd Chisese, an avid Dynamos supporter from Greenside said it was better for the like of Chiyangwa and Magaya to come in as corporate sponsors and leave the administration to people who have requisite qualifications.

“I think it would be better is Chiyangwa and Magaya stayed in the background as corporate sponsors. His (Chiyangwa) business is doing well so he should stay there although we say football is now a business it is better to have someone like Charles Mabika to lead ZIFA because he understands football,” he said.

Chiyangwa’s pledges

Chiyangwa has since come up with a dozen pledges he will undertake to improve the fortunes of the ailing football fraternity, below is a list:

1. The restoration of constitutional democracy, accountability and transparency in the administration of the affairs of Zifa and the recruitment of a crack cadre of professional and dedicated members of staff.
2. The expunging of the legacy debt through the creation of innovative national and international fund-raising initiatives.
3. Development of comprehensive soccer structures from the grassroots level and promotion of competitive corporate sponsorship for the Premier Soccer League, the First, Second and Third Divisions, the Reserve League, as well as Social Soccer League.
4. Creation of more sports structures, especially football academies, through lobbying for appropriate special allocations and tax incentives from the fiscus.
5. The creation of a special welfare fund for professional soccer players that will guarantee timely payment of their salaries, create life, work, health and disability insurance policies for them, as well as negotiate a special dispensation with the National Social Security Association (NSSA) for sports programmes, given the short working life of professional soccer players.
6. Creation of a guaranteed and continuous revenue stream for the association by acquiring appropriate and permanent lodgings both for the national and for visiting teams.
7. Creation of a loan scheme for the benefit of national football team players through a sinking fund sponsored by the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, and NSSA.
8. Guaranteeing competitive professional contracts and fees for our national players and coaches in a bid to alleviate poverty among people who are household names. A relentless effort will be made to ensure uniform standards throughout all structures.
9. Ensuring that football is accorded a special national healing status as a vehicle of cultural cohesion and a dynamic platform for our ongoing diplomatic push for international positive “perception management”.
10. Campaigning for aggressive gender mainstreaming of professional football through the development and sponsorship of a professional women’s league with competitive conditions and compensation in order to promote football and sport in general as a viable career choice for the girl-child. Women’s football structures are currently only manifest at the senior level, with no corresponding operational structures to mirror the men’s leagues. Sponsorship issues around the development of women’s football are the missing link in terms of achieving full equity.
11. Introduction of an innovative business advisory on our existing football and sport assets through naming rights and taking our values to the regional and global marketplace through incisive and competitive corporate sponsorship.
12. Ensuring that all our professional players have decent housing and transport befitting their special status in our society, especially as our pre-eminent cultural ambassadors. Provision of housing and transport is a cornerstone of my business ethos and enterprise. I promise to bring fun, integrity and the prospect of viability back into our football by investing into it, rather than taking from it.

The hallmark of my entrepreneurship has always been daring innovation, being always ready to shake things up, while remaining conscious of the general welfare and the needs of the community.

Chiyangwa, who appears to be the front runner, also confirmed that he will go around all provinces to launch his manifesto for the people of Zimbabwe to understand his passion to improve soccer in Zimbabwe.

“I will soon be going around with the manifesto and show the nation of Zimbabwe that I am willing to take football into the next level,” he said.

Chiyangwa will battle it out with former Premier Soccer League Leslie Gwindi and little known South African based Trevor Carelse-Juul, on December 5.