ZIFA Presidential race he
A
The Parade Sports Writer
s each day passes by, tensions
are rising and ambers are
getting red with the four
candidates vying to land the
top job of leading football in the country
doing everything in their power to
outsmart each other through manifestos
and comments to denigrate the opponent.
Saturday December 5 is the day
pencilled for the elections where 58
Zifa councillors will sit down to elect a
candidate who is going to lead football in
the country for the next five years.
Philip Chiyangwa, Leslie Gwindi,
James Takavada and Trevor Carelse- Juul
have all been cleared by the nomination
court and come the day one of the four
gentlemen will gain the mandate and
responsibility to lead football in the
country.
Like every manifesto written, whether
by a political party or anyone trying to
seek or win a post, is too good and the
only stumbling block is the real action
that needs to be on the ground and with
Zimbabwe’s situation everything is upside
down in as far as football is concerned.
Teams failing to camp on time, failing
to fulfil assignments as well as crying
lungs out for the bonuses are just a tip of
Page 38
an iceberg of some the myriad of problems
gripping our national football.
The next president of Zifa must
address these issues and the first item
on the menu is making sure the Warriors
are well prepared for the CHAN tourney
scheduled for Rwanda early next year.
The former Zifa president Cuthbert
Dube did not receive praise from the local
football fanatics after his administration
failed to turn around the fortunes of the
game in the country.
The councillors gave him a vote of no
confidence and he was sent packing.
Many football followers were baying
for his head and when he left office many
were very happy and this time around the
councillors are being called to vote wisely
and replace Dube with someone who will
contribute immensely to the development
of football.
Chiyangwa claims to have been in the
administration of football from 19931999 and that is why he met the criteria
required for one to be Zifa president.
Although the self proclaimed richest
man in Zimbabwe failed to answer the
meaning of CAF, FIFA and COSAFA when
he was asked on national radio, he is keen
to change the fortunes of the game in the
country.
The Parade - Zimbabwe’s Most Read Lifestyle Magazine
Takavada has been doing his business
quietly, garnering support amongst the
councillors. The former soccer star of the
year is confident of victory ahead of the
elections.
Speaking to a local daily paper he said,
“Everything is set, the team is ready to
challenge, my candidature was formalised
and there is no going back,” he said.
“As a football person, I am always on
the ground and I know what fans and the
electorate want. They are after someone
who can improve the game and I am
exactly what the football fraternity has
been yearning for. I have already started
meeting the electorate and they are happy
that I want to lead them. Those who vote
know what I am capable of bringing to
our football,” he added.
If elected into office, Takavada said
his administration would concentrate on
football development, following the model
that has been successfully implemented
in Ghana.
“We want to follow a model like the
one used by Ghana — investing in junior
football. It is simple to implement. You do
not need somebody’s money, you just need
the football brains, Fifa has the money to
do it. If we put our house in order, Fifa
will come in and help us. The association
December 2015