ZIFA election season in full swing

Langton Nyakwenda

WRITING for The Sunday Mail Sport in January 2022, Ashford Mamelodi acknowledged the talent and resilience within Zimbabwean footballers, both men and women.

Mamelodi worked as secretary-general of COSAFA from 1992 to 2008, and also interacted closely with Zimbabwean football administrators when he was a FIFA development officer from 2000 to 2016.

“It is undoubted that Zimbabwe possess a great deal of football talent. This is best demonstrated by the country’s achievements in both regional and international competitions,” wrote Mamelodi.

“The dominance of the Warriors in the regional competition has been outstanding, where they currently hold the record of six COSAFA Cup titles ahead of Zambia and South Africa.

“The Warriors have also regularly qualified for the CHAN tournament, including in 2014 when they made it into the semi-final in Cape Town, South Africa.”

Mamelodi noted the successes enjoyed by the Mighty Warriors who qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and were also runners-up at the COSAFA Women’s Championship in 2013.

In January 2022, Zimbabwe were making their fifth appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Cameroon.

A month later, the country was banned from international football by the world governing body, FIFA, after the Government intervened to stop administrative bungling.

Mamelodi’s article was published before the FIFA ban, but the veteran administrator had mentioned at length Zimbabwe’s weakness when it came to proper football administration.

“All this while, ZIFA did not have their best foot forward in terms of the administration of the game,” noted Mamelodi.

“In my mind, therein lies the resilience and quality of the Zimbabwean players. Even if we were to go back in history, players such as Bruce Grobbelaar, Peter Ndlovu and Moses Chunga demonstrated that quality had always been there in abundance.

“In the new generation, there is Khama Billiat and one of the goalscorers at the ongoing AFCON in Cameroon, Knowledge Musona, Marvelous Nakamba . . . the list is endless.”

What worried Mamelodi was a decline in football development and governance.

“Whereas prior to the last 10 years there was active football development, in the last 10 years this has been hardly existent,” he said.

Junior football development, infrastructure and good governance will be topical ahead of the ZIFA elections set for January 2025.

The process to elect the next ZIFA president and the executive committee was set in motion when the assembly adopted the amended constitution on October 19.

One of the standout clauses in that document is that the ZIFA president and his deputies should have a minimum five O-Level passes.

The draft constitution has now been submitted to the Sports and Recreation Commission for endorsement.

Nominations of candidates opens on November 14 and closes on November 29.

Vetting of candidates will follow, before the actual field of candidates is finalised.

The new ZIFA Board, comprising the president, his two deputies — one of whom shall be a woman — and six ordinary members will then be elected in January.

Two ex-officio members representing the Premier Soccer League and Zimbabwe Women Premier Soccer League will also make up the board, although these will be picked in subsequent elections.

“A lot of things are still tentative though, but the aim is to have the elections by January 18,” ZIFA chief executive officer Yvonne Manwa told Zimpapers Sports Hub.

“These are elections for the executive committee only, thereafter the new leadership determines what they want to do.”

The election of a fresh executive committee will signal the end for the Normalisation Committee, which was installed by FIFA on July 11 last year.

Although it is still 11 days before nomination opens, a number of prospective candidates have hit the ground running. It is still a cat-and-mouse game, with many keeping their cards close to their chests, but there are some who have already come out in the open.

Premier Soccer League chairperson Farai Jere and Yadah owner Walter Magaya are already campaigning to be the next ZIFA president. Magaya has been to Bulawayo and the Midlands selling his manifesto.

Sources say former CAPS United owner Twine Phiri will enter the race when the nomination opens.

Former board member Philemon Machana, who served under Felton Kamambo in the previous setup, is also interested in becoming the next president.

Warriors legend Peter Ndlovu and former legislator Themba Mliswa have been linked with the ZIFA presidency. Former FC Platinum president George Mawere has also been mentioned.

United Kingdom-based Marshal Gore and Richard Wangu Mazodze, who is in the United States, have also expressed interest. But it remains to be seen how they will be affected by a clause that requires a candidate to have been “continuously” resident in Zimbabwe in the two years prior to the election date.

Those interested in the vice president post include former Njube Sundowns owner Gift Banda and ex-Highlanders vice chairperson Modern Ngwenya.

An interesting battle is expected for places in the ZIFA Board.

Former Dynamos vice chairperson Vincent Chawonza, junior football development advocate Walter Musanhi and Chicken Inn secretary Tavengwa Hara are believed to be interested. Black Rhinos chairperson Edward Mutukwa, who has a strong background in finance management, and former Dynamos chairman Kenny Mubaiwa are also being touted.

The other names that have been thrown around include Joyce Kapota, former Ngezi Platinum Stars chief executive officer Nyasha Kadenge and FC Platinum administrator Chido Chizondo.

According to Article 38 of the amended constitution, the executive committee shall comprise 11 members, at least three of whom shall be women.