Zifa drum up financial support

17 Feb, 2019 - 00:02 0 Views

The Sunday Mail

Langton Nyakwenda

THE Zimbabwe Football Association has appointed a fresh marketing committee with a mandate of luring corporate support for the Warriors who play Congo Brazzaville in a crucial African Cup of Nations qualifier on March 24. It’s exactly 35 days before Zimbabwe engage Congo at the National Sports in a game the Warriors need just a point to qualify for the Afcon finals and the football mother body has switched into action mode.

Zifa board member marketing, Sugar Chagonda heads a seven-member committee that also comprises of seasoned business executive and Division One football administrator Stancilous Nyachowe, mobile network executive Spencer Manguwa and renowned marketing consultant Munyaradzi Hwengwere.

Midlands State University lecturer Dr Thomas Marambanyika, seasoned marketer Vimbai Maunze and Chatanga Badza are also in this committee. “We have a very crucial game coming up against Congo and as Zifa we want to put everything in order, logistics wise, hence the formation of this new marketing committee. “The Afcon journey is a journey that we feel Zifa cannot walk alone, we need corporate support and I am happy with the response so far. “There’s goodwill from the corporate world, they have reaffirmed their confidence with the new Zifa dispensation,” said Chagonda.

Zifa whose debt has ballooned to over $8 million urgently requires corporate intervention to meet the obligations that come with a Warriors’ game of this magnitude.

The football association is also banking on racking in some more money from the ongoing ticket sales. The cheapest ticket is going for $10 and over a thousand have been bought so far.

Zifa expect to pay the Warriors hefty bonuses should they sail past the Congo hurdle while further payments will be made before the team takes part at the finals in Egypt in June.

Only two years ago, the Warriors nearly boycotted the Gabon finals demanding about $5 000 per player for each match at the Afcon finals plus a daily allowance of $1 500.

“We need to walk the talk, remember we emphasized more on the need to have people with a corporate background in Zifa for us to attract sponsorship partnerships and this is what is happening. “Soon we will unveil a raft of sponsorship packages, a number of corporates want to partner Zifa ahead of this crucial game against Congo. “We have been looking at our past and we want to improve, that is why we have introduced the electronic ticketing system. “And we are urging Zimbabweans to embrace this new trend,” said Chagonda.

The new Zifa marketing committee takes over from the one led by Chamu Chiwanza and appointed by then president Philip Chiyangwa.

Martin Kweza, Barbra Chikosi and Brightwell Kadenge formed that committee.

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