Chiyangwa joins Cosafa presidential race

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIFA president Philip Chiyangwa has thrown his hat into the Cosafa presidential race whose elections will be held next week.

The elections would be held soon after the Cosafa Under-20 championships which are ongoing in South Africa, ends.

The flamboyant Harare property mogul will face South Africa Football Association president Danny Jordan, who staged a last minute withdrawal from the race to the same post in 2011. Also in the race is Frans Mbidi of Namibia, Mohammed Sobha of Mauritius, Pedro Neto of Angola, and Mozambique’s Alberto Junior.

Nominations closed on Thursday for the biggest football post in the Southern Region, presently held by Suketu Patel of Seychelles.

“Yes, I am in. I have entered the race and I remain confident of landing the post,” said Chiyangwa yesterday.

Besides the presidential elections, the delegates will also vote for the vice president and five executive committee members.

Zimbabwe has previously held the Cosafa vice presidency post through Wellington Nyatanga but Chiyangwa believes he has the right credentials to land the post, which also assures the incumbent a Caf executive committee membership.

Chiyangwa will face stiff competition from Jordan although the all powerful Caf president Issa Hayatou is said to be against the 2010 Fifa World Cup organising committee chairman’s candidature.