The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
A short exchange with the late legendary striker Adam “Adamski” Ndlovu during the 2012 Soccer Stars awards night at Crest Lodge was as revealing as it was touching.
It so happened that we met in the rest room and in that minute or so, the former Warriors gunman talked about his Chicken Inn project, his desire to see the development of junior football and his wish to see the Warriors succeed.
He didn’t live to see his Chicken Inn project come to fruition as Ndlovu tragically died just over 24 hours later in an accident that almost claimed his brother Peter Ndlovu’s life. Six years ago this day, the football fraternity lost a legend, a committed Warrior during his time and a dedicated coach who laid the foundation for Chicken Inn’s emergence as one of the forces in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.
As the 60 Zifa councillors gather at the same Cresta Lodge hotel in Msasa today to elect the football leadership that will steer the ship for the next four years, one wonders if wishes of football legends like Ndlovu and other budding footballers will be fulfilled. A process that began on February 17 with the unveiling of the Zifa Electoral Committee headed by Vusilizwe Vuma concludes today with polls for the president, vice president and four board members that will serve until 2022. Fifa have sent in three representatives to observe the election while Caf will have a single envoy. “One representative from Fifa arrived in the country on Friday, the other two are expected today (yesterday),” Zifa spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela told The Sunday Mail Sport yesterday.
The stage is set for what could turn out to be a tightly contested election.
The process starts at 10am.
Incumbent president Philip Chiyangwa faces a stern test from Felton Kamambo who The Sunday Mail Sport understands enjoys the backing of the Central and Eastern Regions. Kamambo is confident of upsetting the applecart as he claims he has the support of all football stakeholders.
“The current environment in our football is toxic and not conducive for smooth flow of business; that is what we want to change. I am confident of a comprehensive victory,” declared Kamambo.
Chiyangwa has been going about his campaign trail quietly, refusing to grant media interviews in the run-up but those close to him claim the maverick businessman has done enough on the ground to retain the presidency.
The same cannot be said of his deputy Omega Sibanda, who squares up against Gift Banda, the former Njube Sundowns owner who won the hearts of most councillors during his robust nationwide campaign. Given that there are two candidates each for the presidency and vice presidency, one only needs to garner 30 plus one vote to assume the top posts.
It has not been an easy campaign trail though for both Kamambo and Banda who were arrested before being released last week, in what neutrals believe was a deliberate attempt to smear the duo.
Both were initially disqualified from contesting the election by the Zifa Electoral Committee on the grounds that Kamambo was still serving a ban while Banda’s “crime” was that he was still serving rehabilitation.
However, the duo fought relentlessly against the decision, letters were written to the world governing body Fifa, after which they were eventually readmitted into the race. “It has been a tough journey that started with all those flimsy allegations and disqualifications. It was difficult getting the nomination forms, it was even more difficult submitting them but we kept on fighting. “If you are fighting for the good and you are a true football person then you don’t tire. I am very confident of victory, that is why we have been this resilient,” a confident Banda told The Sunday Mail Sport yesterday.
Banda enjoys massive support from the Northern and Eastern Regions as well as some parts of the Central region and looks poised to dethrone Sibanda, who has been criticized for making unpopular football decisions during his tenure.
Sibanda, who has called on councillors to vote for continuity, is mainly banking on votes from the Southern Region.
Six candidates — Sugar Chagonda, Mlungisi Moyo, Philemon Machana, Chamu Chiwanza, Stanley Chapeta and Brighton Malandule — are vying for the four board member posts.
Incumbent board member finance, Machana, has been accused of financial abuse, allegations he vehemently denied yesterday. “Councillors should not judge me on false allegations. How can I abuse Fifa funds when the world body sends auditors regularly.
“The fact that Fifa continues to give us funding is proof enough that we are doing our things above board,” Machana said.
Like his mentor Chiyangwa, Chiwanza has opted not to talk much before the election but indications are that the football greenhorn has a slim chance in today’s polls. A random survey amongst the councillors indicated that holder of a financial engineering masters’ degree, Moyo, and Chagonda are in with a big chance of making it into the board.
“It’s time for people with a corporate background to come into football. Football should be run like a business, and to achieve that we need people who understand the corporate world,” said Chagonda, a public relations and corporate governance practitioner.
