D-Day for football as ZIFA, SRC meet

Grace Chingoma-Senior Sports Reporter

IS it going to be the day of the long knives when the Sports Commission and the ZIFA board meet in Harare today with the national game gasping for breath on its deathbed? 

The high-powered indaba comes just two days after the Warriors completed their worst 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign in history, following a tame 1-1 draw against Ethiopia, on Sunday. 

The senior national team donated four points to the East Africans, four points to Bafana Bafana and six points to Ghana’s Black Stars. 

They ended the campaign with just two points, from a possible 18, and bottom of the group. 

With concerns rising over the state of football, it’s likely today’s indaba will be a review of the Warriors’ failed campaign, in which they also suffered the humiliation of losing to Somalia. 

Three coaches were given the mandate of taking charge of the eight World Cup qualifiers, amid the chaos, within the domestic football family. 

The controversy surrounding the recruitment of Zdravko Logarusic, to coach the team, despite his inexperience, is also likely to feature prominently, during the no-holds barred indaba. 

Authorities in Kenya have already taken the initiative, after finally running out of patience with the way their national team were performing dismally, by disbanding their national football leadership. 

And, as if on cue, Kenya’s Harambee Stars responded with a 2-1 victory over Rwanda, in a World Cup qualifier, yesterday. 

“The Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) is extending an invitation to the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) board to a meeting with SRC Board on Tuesday, the 16th of November, 2021,” SRC boss, Gerald Mlotshwa, wrote to his ZIFA counterpart, Felton Kamambo, last month. 

“Whereas an agenda and logistics for the proposed meeting will be finalised and shared in due course, the underlying rationale for the meeting will be to discuss issues of mutual interest for the two entities, in the development of the sport code (football) in the country. 

“Following your request for a meeting between the respective Boards of ZIFA and SRC, the commission believes the time for such a meeting is now. 

“The SRC board chair has availed a date and time slot to provide a platform for positive engagement between the two parties and provide a basis for collaboration in areas of mutual interest. 

“As such, convening the meeting will hopefully usher a new discourse providing for improved and mutually-beneficial relations between ZIFA and SRC, for the greater good of the sport and recreation sector. 

“We look forward to this important meeting taking place as proposed. Your cooperation and support to that end, is greatly appreciated.” 

The lowest point of the World Cup campaign came with the loss at the hands of Somalia, which exposed the serious challenges facing domestic football. 

The Somali team fielded players who included a driving instructor based in Manchester, a captain struggling to secure a club and others drawn from the backwaters of the Finnish, Norwegian, Italian and American amateur leagues. 

There has been intense pressure on the SRC to intervene in the affairs of ZIFA, with some fiery hawks even pushing for the dissolution of the current leadership, of the association. 

However, it appears the SRC have been concerned about the possible backlash, including the suspension of this country from international football, which might come from FIFA. 

Two years ago, the SRC were told by FIFA they could not dissolve the ZIFA leadership, without consequences from Zurich after they had asked world football governing body to wield the axe. 

However, events in Kenya could have breathed life into a number of authorities, across the continent who feel they need to crack the whip when their football leaders come short. 

“It’s going to be an interesting week,’’ sources told The Herald. 

The ZIFA annual meeting, which was scheduled for this coming weekend, has been postponed. 

The local football leaders have said a new date will be announced in due course. 

Proper notice for the meeting was sent out to all the affiliates but sources said there were concerns about holding the meeting, with emotions of the World Cup exit still exploding, among the Councillors. 

ZIFA spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela, who copied all the association’s members a letter sent out a few days ago, did not provide reasons for the postponement. 

“The Zimbabwe Football Association would like to inform all ZIFA members that the Annual General Meeting which was scheduled for the 20th November 2021 has been postponed to a later date which will be advised in due course,” wrote Gwesela.