The Sunday Mail
FIFA Southern and Eastern Region development officer Ashford Mamelodi should just shut up!
Mamelodi courted controversy yesterday after the Zifa EGM when he sounded like Cuthbert Dube’s public relations officer saying he was amazed at how Zifa was doing well in conducting its business.
Addressing a Press conference after the heated EGM, Mamelodi also appeared to justify Zifa’s reluctance to push for the country’s inclusion in yesterday’s World Cup 2018 draw.
Asked how he rates the current Zifa board’s performance Mamelodi said: “Am extremely surprised that they have done this within the constraints, I am really shocked that these guys have lasted this long. . . It’s amazing.”
Mamelodi questioned the media’s obsession with the 2018 World Cup saying the world soccer showpiece should not be a priority for Zimbabwe.
“I don’t know if the World Cup is a priority, I know it’s prestigious to be amongst (the teams participating). But my question to you, which should be answered by somebody in this country is would you have honoured those fixtures? Because the costs are not only when you are away, even at home. Because Cote d’Ivoire could have come next week, already the president (Dube) was saying there is no money.”
Mamelodi urged locals to concentrate on lesser tournaments like the Afcon and Chan in which Zimbabwe has a “realistic chance” of doing well.
“I like Chan, I like Afcon, because there Zimbabwe has a good chance of going to the finals because they have done it before. There is reason to pursue those, even in limited resources. But I don’t know, there is this so much about the World Cup,” he said.
Mamelodi said any other board would fail to do as well as Dube and his team has done under the circumstances.
“As outsiders, we admire Zimbabwean football. Look at your national team, travelling by bus to Malawi and still managing to win,” he said.
