The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
Sports Reporter
STUNG by financial implications of the prolonged absence of action, Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs, most of them on the verge of losing sponsorship deals because of inactivity, have now put the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) in a corner, demanding an immediate return of the game.
It is now exactly 420 days since the last PSL match was played.
There are real fears some clubs might collapse if the action does not resume.
Ironically, there has been no major conversation by the game’s leadership to discuss football’s return.
Manica Diamonds beat Black Rhinos 1-0 at the National Sports Stadium on December 15, 2019, in the last league encounter of that season, and since then, there has been no top-flight action.
After the 2020 season was wiped off by the coronavirus, a number of clubs, including giants Dynamos and Highlanders, cannot envisage another year without football.
Dynamos have naturally led the way, lodging an urgent plea with the association, while other clubs are urging ZIFA to take a leaf from neighbouring countries like South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia, where leagues are running despite the pandemic.
DeMbare might lose their sponsorship deal with Remington Gold if the 2021 season does not kick off, while other clubs like CAPS United are now struggling to fund their payrolls.
There are reports some members of the technical team and players have since been struck off the pay list at Makepekepe.
The Glamour Boys have assembled a potentially strong side with the capacity to challenge for the championship they last won under Kallisto Pasuwa in 2014.
Dynamos chairperson Isaiah Mupfurutsa outlined the club’s predicament in a letter dated January 27, 2021 and addressed to ZIFA president Felton Kamambo.
It was also copied to PSL chairperson Farai Jere and the league’s chief executive Kenny Ndebele.
“Dynamos Football Club, a member of the ZIFA Assembly, hereby request your esteemed office and person to facilitate the resumption of elite league football in Zimbabwe.
“Our request and urgent plea is premised upon the need to save the local football industry from near collapse, which collapse would have a negative ripple effect on the mainstream economy,” reads part of the letter.
“Our anchor sponsors are on the brink of withdrawing their sponsorship of the club should games not resume by March 2021, a situation that would plunge the sports industry into an abyss since we contribute to the local football and sport fiscus.
“As one of the biggest teams in Zimbabwe, boasting of a huge following in the ten provinces of Zimbabwe, we request that local football is allowed to resume under water-tight conditions which we commit to observe to the letter,” Mupfurutsa said.
A proposed mini-league tourney failed to kick off in December last year, as there wasn’t a clear blueprint from a seemingly clueless ZIFA leadership.
The funding strategy for the tournament was not sound, despite ZIFA getting US$1,8 million from both FIFA and CAF as Covid-19 relief funds, which were also earmarked for football’s resumption.
However, Kamambo is yet to announce ZIFA’s plan.
The Premiership’s traditional sponsors and long-time partners — Castle Lager — are observing the developments before making their next move.
“Our position will be communicated at the appropriate time,” said Irimayi Muzorewa, Delta Channel marketing executive.
But, the uncertainty gripping the local football fraternity has reached alarming levels.
DeMbare believes that “inactivity will see our local clubs and national teams failing to either acquit themselves well in regional, continental and international competitions” or being excluded from the competitions altogether.
“It is our plea that we take a leaf from neighbouring leagues that are active while observing WHO (World Health Organisation) guidelines.
“South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, Cameroon, to mention but a few major leagues, have allowed football to resume under the watchful eyes of their authorities and WHO regulations are observed,” added the Harare giants.
The South African DStv Premiership began on October 17, 2020, before the Zambian Super League followed suit a fortnight later.
In Tanzania, where a number of Zimbabwean players have flocked in recent months, the top-flight is being played in packed stadiums.
Football is an industry that not only sustains the 540 players registered with the PSL, but hundreds of support staff, scores of service providers, thousands of vendors, transport operators and other downstream businesses.
Highlanders chief executive Nhlanhla Dube feels the value of the industry has diminished.
“The biggest challenge is not knowing what to do, how to plan and how to manage the brand for growth because the biggest driver is football action.
“The value of the industry itself is diminishing because it is not trading. How do we value players, what is their worth?
“How do you scale sign-on fees and salaries, and how do you entice partners?” queried Dube.
“Thirteen months of carrying human resource costs with very restricted income means that development programmes are sacrificed.
“There has been no junior football, meaning that youth football development is severely compromised and when it comes back, it will be a complete restart.
“One hopes that football will be played because if it’s not, then it’s going to be difficult to sustain football clubs as virtual entities.
“Players will stagnate or even regress from inactivity and competitiveness will be lost. Value to sponsors will be lost because of lack of return on investment through partnerships,’’ Dube said.
Although Highlanders have been paying salaries regularly since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, Dube fears it could soon become increasingly difficult “to sustain ourselves if this situation went for longer”.
Black Rhinos secretary, Edward Mutukwa said it was now becoming difficult for his executive to convince the club’s financiers.
“It’s a fact that employers need to pay people who are working,” said Mutukwa.
“With this situation, it is difficult to continue convincing the system that we need to be consistent in paying players.
“We don’t have an option since we signed the players but our outflows need to be balanced with inflows for us to have balanced accounts. The game of football should return, all stakeholders must put their heads together and find a way to resume football, otherwise, we are neglecting a potential source of revenue,” he said.
Ngezi Platinum Stars chief executive officer Nyasha Kadenge is worried about the psychological impact on players and technical staff, who have not been at work for over a year.
“Uncertainty breeds anxiety.
“Players and their technical teams are uncertain about whether they will play or if they will earn money to look after their families.
“Clubs are faced with difficult financial decisions in terms of paying for services not rendered and players wanting to be cushioned for adverse changes in their cost of living,” Kadenge said.
She fears that clubs might actually fold if the game is not played this year.
Herentals secretary-general Fainos Madhumbu opines local football leaders need to tap some lessons from neighbouring leagues.
“The continuous absence of football has taken its toll on players both physically and emotionally.
“Look at the recent embarrassment in Cameroon (CHAN finals). People were quick to blame the national team coach but the reality is that we had players whose talents were wasting away for over a year,” Madhumbu said.
Newly-promoted Mutare side Tenax nearly failed to register for the 2019 season owing to financial challenges.
Club chairperson Stefan Masina feels the financial losses brought by the absence of the game will be difficult to recover.
“I hope club sponsors will understand the situation and have a positive mind,” said Masina.
“It will be a total disaster if the game is not played this season. Remember, soccer is a business, so if there is no action, it’s as good as the sector is closed . . .”
ZIFA communications and competitions manager Xolisani Gwesela said the association’s plans for football to resume were scuppered by the tightened lockdown.
“We had applied to the Government to start training on January 4 and for the league to start in March but this was suspended by the new lockdown measures. So now we will approach the SRC for a new position on Monday and we will advise thereafter,’’ he said.
The soccer mother body have, however, been successfully applying for waivers for FC Platinum to participate in the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup competitions.
