No room for politicking, Mr president

Dear Felton Kamambo

As the nation waits anxiously for the senior men’s national team, the Warriors, to qualify for the African Cup of Nations to be held in Egypt this year, I felt it is the right time to share my views with you on what character your presidency of the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) should take.

We are only 90 minutes away from qualification, but already we have had enough drama from the nation’s football governing body and I am scared potential sponsors might distance themselves from such hullabaloo.

Players and the technical team have played their part in making the road to qualification easier but the never-ending boardroom battles seem to be derailing those efforts.

As the nation waits for the Congo Brazzaville match at the National Sports Stadium in March, drama is already unfolding at ZIFA House. For years, ZIFA has been operating like a tuck-shop in a banana republic and potential sponsors have distanced themselves from the organisation.

Recently, your suspended deputy president Gift Banda announced some changes in the Warriors technical team replacing Lloyd Mutasa and Rahman Gumbo with Tonderai Ndiraya and Bongani Mafu as assistants to Sunday Chidzambwa, changes which the board later reversed.

You have also made claims that former president Philip Chiyangwa is meddling into the dayto-day running of ZIFA.

If that is true, then the board should read the riot act to those derailing the progress. If it is cheap politicking then stop it! Mr Kamambo, you need to restore the confidence of sponsors and the public in ZIFA. We have seen players failing to answer national duty because ZIFA have failed to provide the air tickets.

We have examples of Nyasha Mushekwi and Costa Nhamoinesu who have on several occasions turned down the call because they have used money that has not been refunded. At one point, the Warriors were forced to train without drinking water at the National Sports Stadium and such occurrences are disturbing and frustrate players.

As you prepare for the next congress, Mr Kamambo, be guided by the constitution as you have said and stop creating your own empire as this might give the next president problems.

People must be elected on merit not that they belong to your cabal or that they know you! Good governance is the cornerstone for the development of local football. We have a lot of talent in Zimbabwe that needs to be developed if we get sponsorship.

Yours truly Tawanda Marwizi

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