The Sunday Mail
Daphne Machiri
UNITED KINGDOM based Zimbabwean football agent Lindiwe Frances Ngwenya is attempting to make history by becoming the first ever woman to lead the Zimbabwe Football Association.
The 46-year-old has revealed her intentions to challenge Philip Chiyangwa in the Zifa presidential elections set for December and she is promising to change the face of football in the country.
“The situation at Zifa is unfortunate for all of us because the leadership required to take Zimbabwe football to the next level has to come from there.
“No progress has been made. My desire is for elections to take place as soon as practicable so that we can move on, “she exclusively told The Sunday Mail Sport.
Ngwenya is a UK national of Zimbabwean parentage who has worked in football since 2013 when she set up SISU Sports Management with a mission to mentor and manage talent from under-served and overlooked areas.
This has seen her focus on African football, smaller European Leagues and Women’s football.
She has been involved in organising talent identification tournaments in Gambia, Ghana, and Nigeria and negotiated a number of international transfers for both male and female players.
“My passion for soccer goes back as far as I can remember,” she said.
“I grew up in North West London and was gripped by the Tottenham Spurs team of the early 80’s that won back to back FA Cups.
“My love for the game has never diminished,” she reminisced.
She promises a vibrant football body that will see the nation progress in the much adored sporting discipline.
“It is time for a new era in Zimbabwean football and an FA President with the ambition, energy and vision to galvanize the Zimbabwe football family for a common purpose — making Zimbabwe football the best that it can be at all levels and a source of genuine national pride,” said Ngwenya.
The need to improve the welfare of all national teams motivates Ngwenya to gun for the Zifa presidency.
“In order to achieve this, we will need to attract investment and I will bring the network that I have built in the game as well as my prior career in financial services to help attract this investment,” said the football agent.
“When I talk about football, I genuinely mean both the men’s and women’s game. I have worked extensively in both areas so I can demonstrate that. I can practice what I preach.”
