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Petros Kausiyo
SINCE his election onto the Zifa board and his subsequent appointment to head the marketing portfolio, Sugar Chagonda has kept his distance from the bruising battles at the football association.
The in-house and external fights have resulted in stagnation and confusion in the development of the country’s flagship sport.
Consequently, Zifa has been failing to fully capitalise on opportunities presented by the Fifa Forward Fund.
The problems rocking domestic football sunk to new lows in the aftermath of the Warriors’ Africa Cup of Nations show in Cairo, Egypt, thereby attracting the attention of the Sport and Recreation Commission. On their part, the Zifa leadership seem to have allowed the squabbles and their pride to come in the way of football development. Their detractors have conveniently latched on to the confusion to stoke more flames.
But Chagonda, a seasoned public relations and marketing executive, has opened up on the issue, highlighting that it is becoming difficult for those in and out of the country to take Zimbabwe football seriously.
Chagonda said football is supposed to cheer the nation, not to be a source of despair.
“When times are tough, like the obtaining economic environment in our country, the general populace turn to things that provide them solace. Football is one sporting discipline that provides that relief.
“Let’s flash back to March 24 when the nation was still grappling with the devastating effects of Cyclone Idai. It was football that cheered the nation’s spirits after the Warriors had thrashed Congo Brazzaville to seal their place at the Africa Cup of Nations.
“Apart from the fact that football is business, it is great entertainment whose unifying factor must never be underestimated.
“Even in war-ravaged countries, football has silenced guns, football has been used to break barriers, even racial ones.
“While a lot of good stories about football can be told on the global arena, it has not been the same in our motherland.
“When we grew up in the dusty streets of Highfield, we used to measure one’s footballing prowess by ball juggling, then popularly known as “ma UPS”.
“To me, that philosophy of UPS means Unity, Peace and Stability. That is crucial in the development of our football,’’ Chagonda said. The former broadcaster encouraged the domestic game’s stakeholders to unite, adding that they should give Felton Kamambo and his board a chance.
“We need to be united more than ever. We have several warring parties in our football. The irony of it is that everyone is claiming that their actions are for the good of the game.
“So, the million-dollar question is if that is the case, why not unite and put aside any personal interests for the sake of football?’’
“Turbulence at area zones, regional leagues, club and national level can only weaken brand Zimbabwe.
“For those in the national leadership, its incumbent upon us to be trustworthy, transparent, accountable and tolerant in order to retain the confidence of all the stakeholders within and beyond our borders.
“Why should the Zifa perception out there be about an institution that is always engulfed in perpetual fights? The acknowledgment of a problem is the first step towards instituting remedial action or solutions.
“It’s quite sad and unfortunate that from the day that the current leadership was voted into office, some people have declared war on it. They have continued to brew instability and artificial problems in the association.
“In football, some will win while others lose. Those who lose must be magnanimous and congratulate the winners. The winners must also acknowledge those who would have lost. This is important in leadership and is in the spirit of sportsmanship and Ubuntu.
“The tragedy is that a lot of invaluable time is consumed in trying to bring down the current leadership. This has largely affected the brand equity of our football. We are losing opportunities to work with the corporate world and other support systems like Caf and Fifa. They can offer a lot to our beautiful game. Even ordinary citizens can contribute a lot to our local clubs and national teams.
“Any active leadership is bound to make mistakes. Even if it is to tumble, what matters is the speed at which they are able to rise again and deliver on their mandate. Please give the current leadership a chance.
“Zifa is an open institution, anyone is free to contribute their ideas. We need to make our football attractive to investors.
“While some individuals’ invaluable input could be very useful in the development of the game, they have chosen to be career critics.
They see no good, hear no good and speak no good regarding the sport.”
Chagonda stressed that development is not the prerogative of the national executive only.
“Contributions to football should not only come from the national executive. It can come from all levels. It would be great to have former players or administrators help in developing football through their local structures.”
“Let’s have unity of purpose and a shared vision. It’s never too late to do that, let’s close ranks as we work towards the World Cup assignment against Somalia,’’ Chagonda said.
Online Reporter