The Sunday Mail
Sports Editor
THE Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) is edging closer to bringing an end to the drawn-out reform process at troubled ZIFA.
It has since emerged that the local sports regulatory body held crucial virtual talks with FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) officials on Monday last week.
The SRC, together with the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, are confident that they will work with the ZIFA executive committee — currently led by Gift Banda — to ensure that problems haunting the association are resolved.
It is only after they have been satisfied with the ZIFA roadmap to reform that the SRC will then press for Zimbabwe’s re-admission to the international football
family.
SRC director-general Eltah Nengomasha told The Sunday Mail Sport that apart from meeting with FIFA and CAF, they have also held a series of meetings with ZIFA, who have presented their roadmap to them.
Although she was not at liberty to divulge what they discussed with FIFA and CAF, Nengomasha expressed satisfaction with the talks.
The meeting puts paid the notion that the world football governing body was only communicating with ousted ZIFA president Felton Kamambo and ex-chief executive officer Joseph Mamutse.
“The SRC board and officials from FIFA and CAF met on Monday,’’ Nengomasha said.
“The discussions were positive but the details will remain confidential for now.
“ZIFA has submitted its draft roadmap to SRC. It is presently under discussion and will be presented to FIFA shortly as previously advised.”
She also called for patience while the parties working on the ZIFA crisis work on bringing it to finality. The SRC says it is fully aware of the impact that Zimbabwe’s suspension has on the game’s stakeholders, particularly players, coaches and referees, who are missing out on the international game and some key assignments.
The Warriors were conspicuous by their absence from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers that were played during the recent international break.
Similarly, the women’s side, the Mighty Warriors, also missed their version of AFCON, which served as qualifiers for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup set for Australia and New Zealand in July.
The age-group teams were not spared either, as they could not take part in the COSAFA and CAF youth competitions.
“The public will be informed in due course as to material developments. The SRC remains committed to resolving all outstanding issues regarding ZIFA’s circumstances,” said Nengomasha.
“It is very aware of the direct and indirect inconveniences caused to all stakeholders in football.”
Given the plethora of recurrent challenges at ZIFA, the commission sought a long-term solution and even engaged members of the public via an outreach exercise done by the ZIFA Restructuring Committee.
The committee, which was headed by lawyer Blessing Rugara, was established in December 2021 as part of the strategic roadmap towards addressing issues affecting local football.
It also had a host of eminent sports personalities, who included international sports expert and president of the Africa Esports Development Federation Tommy Sithole, who spent 12 years working for the International Olympic Committee.
Bankers Desmund Ali and Joel Gombera, former Zimbabwe Olympic Committee chief executive officer Anna Mguni, ex-CAPS United administrator Joyce Kapota, Rudo Mugandani, Brian Busani Moyo and Charles Sibanda were also part of the committee.
“The SRC board wishes to express its sincere appreciation for the public’s support and patience, notwithstanding.
“The problems in football will be resolved if we all remain focused and united on the end goal, which is to have a vibrant, well-run, profitable and transparent football sector run by competent and dedicated professionals,” Nengomasha added.
FIFA suspended Zimbabwe in February last year, citing third party interference.
This was after the SRC had suspended Kamambo’s ZIFA board on November 16, 2021 on allegations of corruption, maladministration and sexual harassment of female match officials.
In suspending the ZIFA board, the commission also ordered a forensic audit of the association’s accounts.
