Where is the Zifa Council?

By The Standard | Apr. 1, 2018

It is shocking to learn that the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) has turned to Fifa to seek advice on whether elections for the Zifa board should be held or not. This is the first time in Zimbabwe’s long football history that the international football governing body has been asked to determine as to when elections […]

By MICHAEL KARIATE

The understanding is that this is a matter of the Zifa Council and what the Zifa constitution says about the whole issue, not a matter for the international football body. By avoiding the Zifa Council and instead turning to Fifa, one gets the feeling that this is a desperate attempt by the three men still standing in the Zifa board to cling to power.

Felton Kamambo and Piraishe Mabhena have stepped down from the Zifa board arguing that their mandate expired on March 30. Zifa president Phillip Chiyangwa [pictured left], his vice Omega Sibanda and board member (finance) Philemon Machana claim they still have two years to serve.

Are the two camps using the same Zifa constitution?

Surprisingly, Chiyangwa has been preaching about the good he has done for Zimbabwean football, and yet, he is scared to go to the polls.

If he has done a lot for the Zimbabwean game — as he wants us to believe — then he should be prepared to let his record speak to the electorate for him to get a four-year term, instead of hanging to power unconstitutionally.

Initially, Chiyangwa and company were elected to finish off the term of Cuthbert Dube, which ended on Friday, March 30. When they were elected into power, they knew exactly when their term was supposed to expire. So, what has changed this time?

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Are they scared of losing out in the elections and missing out on the World Cup finals and the Fifa Congress where three Zifa board members will have all their expenses paid for by Fifa?

Or is it that football power has become so sweet compared to political office that Chiyangwa no longer wants to leave?

As the comedy continues, where is the Zifa Council? Why is the Sport and Recreation Commission (SRC) quiet about all this? Zifa has fallen apart and only the Zifa Council and the SRC can put it together again, not Fifa or any other foreigner.

Let us accept defeat

OVER the past few years, matches involving Dynamos and Highlanders have been characterised by hooliganism with the first of the 2017 fixtures ending in the middle of the road after crowd trouble.

The biggest losers were not only Highlanders, who were fined a heavy $4 000, but also football fans who were denied the opportunity to watch the remainder of the game after forking out their hard-earned $3 each to watch the game.

The reverse fixture at Rufaro Stadium saw the acts of violence translate onto the field of play with Dynamos striker Christian Epoupa being expelled from the pitch after head-butting Highlanders defender Peter Muduwa.

That was not a good rehearsal for Zimbabwean football as both matches were watched by the whole of Africa as they were screened on the international sports channel, Supersport.

Tomorrow, at Rufaro Stadium, the battle for Zimbabwe is once again upon us, but there is no guarantee that this game will be free from violence, especially coming at a time when Highlanders are on a roll and DeMbare are going through trying times.

However, football is football and both Dynamos and Highlanders fans should understand that soccer is nothing but a game for friendship and fun and results are secondary. Even both sets of players too should not behave in a manner that provokes the fans and pushes them into acts of violence.

Whoever loses should accept that defeat is part of the game, even if they feel that the referee erred or was biased against their team. That should be the attitude of all those who will be making the trip to Rufaro Stadium tomorrow.

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