The Sunday Mail
Ishemunyoro Chingwere
FORMER Warriors midfielder Edzai Kasinauyo and businessman Philemon Machana sprang a surprise and won places on the Zifa board at the expense of the Phillip Chiyangwa aligned duo of southern region boss Mussa Mandaza and beach soccer’s Joseph Musariri.
Kasinauyo and Machana join central and eastern region chairmen Felton Kamambo and Piraishe Mabhena on the new board.
Newly elected Zifa president Chiyangwa was tipped to storm to victory together with Kamambo, Mabhena, Mandaza and Musariri.
However, Kasinauyo, who polled 29 votes from a possible 57, and Machana (32) gate crashed into the board, elbowing out Mandaza (28) and Musariri who had 26 votes.
Kasinauyo, who has dedicated his time to sport development after hanging his playing boots was thrilled and pledged to serve the nation well in the new position. “It’s good to be here, I have a background of working mostly for development but I will not be confined to that,” he said.
Kasinauyo’s candidature was backed by the likes of Peter Ndlovu, Edward Sadomba and Maxwell “MaRhino” Dube.
Meanwhile, Machana, who has a strong finance background, pledged to work for the good of the game.
“I am overwhelmed by the confidence shown in me by the councilors. I am here to work for football like I have always done.
“Apart from the manifesto that I presented to the councilors, the campaign trail taught me a number of things about our football and what needs to be done to develop it,” said the Conduit Soccer Academy owner.
On the other hand, Kamambo says he is on a mission to cleanse football.
“We have a duty to pay back the trust that has been shown by the councilors. I think the immediate task we have is to bring transparency into the administration of our football.
“We can only be judged by the results we produce so we have to be result oriented and adhere to good corporate governance from now until the end of our mandate,” he said.
Mabhena said his immediate task is to reciprocate the councilors’ confidence and give local football a new trajectory.“I owe my place in the board to the councilors. We are all aware of the things that we have been complaining about.
“The challenge for us is very simple, we just have to implement what we were clamouring for,” he said.
Prominent Harare lawyer Lewis Uriri, former Lengthens director Musa Gwasira, former referee Wilfred Mukuna and Jackson Munyaka failed to make it into the board.
