The Sunday Mail
Sports Editor
NYASHA KADENGE is set to be officially unveiled as the new ZIFA chief executive officer tomorrow after the ex-Ngezi Platinum Stars boss emerged as a surprise choice for the post at the end of interviews by the Normalisation Committee.
Kadenge’s appointment has turned out to be the latest of domestic football’s worst-kept secret.
The 38-year-old former Ngezi Platinum Stars chief executive officer was initially not on the shortlist drafted by the Normalisation Committee last week.
She, however, later got the nod, albeit controversially, ahead of Sheasham’s Violet Njubane, Liberty Maidza, Owen Mugwagwa, Yvonne Manwa and Luckson Muradzikwa.
Until last week, Njubane was the odds-on favourite, as she reportedly enjoyed the backing of FIFA’s head of development programmes for Africa, Solomon Mudege.
It is believed she will now be tasked with handling the women’s desk at ZIFA.
ZIFA have been without a women’s football administrator since the seasoned Theresa Maguraushe was axed at the height of the madness that characterised the Felton Kamambo board.
Although Normalisation Committee chairperson Lincoln Mutasa declined to reveal the identity of the CEO during a live show on ZTN Prime’s programme “The Couch”, he, inadvertently let the cat out of the bag.
He kept hinting that Kadenge will be the person who will help the committee resolve some of the administrative challenges bedevilling the ZIFA secretariat.
Sources close to ZIFA confirmed Kadenge’s appointment to The Sunday Mail Sport.
After her departure from Ngezi in May last year, Kadenge briefly served as an administrator at Tanzanian outfit Singida Fountain Gate in Dodoma before returning to Zimbabwe.
“In the second round of interviews, candidates were asked to make presentations on how they intend to turn around ZIFA?
“It appears some of the influential members of the Normalisation Committee had their preferences for the CEO post. For instance, Sikumbuzo Ndebele favoured Luckson Muradzikwa, Cynthia Malaba wanted Nyasha Kadenge and there were some who wanted Violet Njubane.
“So, in the end, it was agreed that the candidate had to be a woman and a compromise was reached to appoint Nyasha as CEO. Violet will be the women’s football administrator,” said sources.
But there are concerns over Kadenge’s appointment because of her controversial departure from Ngezi.
Kadenge’s tenure as ZIFA CEO will end on June 30, 2024, when the mandate of the Normalisation Committee is also expected to end.
Mutasa, however, indicated that, apart from the CEO and the women’s football administrator, the Normalisation Committee would also hire a referees’ development officer.
Mutasa shrugged off accusations that they were being influenced by Mudege, arguing that he is the committee’s point man at the world soccer governing body.
“The bottom line is Solomon is a representative of FIFA and we were engaged by FIFA as a Normalisation Committee, so we do communicate with him,” he said.
“We update him on what is happening; he gives us advice . . .
“But people want to twist things to suit their own narrative.”
