‘Eastern Region has failed us’

Fungayi Munyoro Sports Correspondent
FORMER welfare manager at the now defunct Highway FC, Tendayi Mudadirwa Greene, has slammed the Zifa Eastern Region administration for its failure to get sponsorship for their flagship Division One League, among other administrative shortcomings. While the Zifa Northern Region has done considerably done well, branding their flagship Division One League and availing a number of cup tournaments, the same cannot be said of the Eastern Region Division One.

All along the region has had one cup tournament – the Sylvia Dube Memorial Tournament – but the sponsor, deposed Zifa president Cuthbert Dube, has failed to avail the package pledged in recent seasons. Unlike other regions, relegation does not exist in the Eastern Region Division One league vocabulary as teams at the bottom of the table at the end of the season are invited back to take part in the same league the following season owing to biting financial constraints bedeviling teams in the regions’ Division Two leagues.

Thus, Greene had no kind words for the Zifa Eastern Region administration, saying the so called regional leadership has failed in its mandate to create a competitive league. Apparently, Greene is not a stranger to football administration in Mutare as he worked with various Mutare-based clubs mainly as team manager.

He was the chief protocol at Frontier Steel before its franchise was sold. He has also worked for CPMZ Feruka which was in the Eastern Region Division One as the team manager before joining Binali Yard’s Highway. In a wide ranging interview on the state of affairs in the Zifa Eastern Region, the outspoken South African-based Green said time had come to stop recycling failed administrators in the region.

“We need an overhaul at all levels of the game especially at ZIFA Eastern Region as they have failed to attract any sponsor for the league, save for the Silvia Dube Memorial Tournament.

“Our soccer is not being marketed fully and yet we have talented youngsters with a lot of potential. What we lack is leadership as we are being led by seemingly myopic sighted people,” he said. Asked who he thinks is able to change the face of Mutare soccer, Greene pointed out that there are a number of people who could improve the state of affairs if given the chance.

“There is a guy called Taurai Matumba who is the former secretary at Highway. He has the brains and his reputation is not tainted. “I will not hesitate to point out that I can also do a better job given the chance. I would love one day to occupy that office, but there is too much politics in our soccer. With the main Zifa elections in December I hope we will have a new lease of life in our football,” he added.

Greene also talked of having player agents in Mutare. “Availability of talent in Mutare is unquestionable and the list is endless. We have the likes of Clemence ‘Skude’ Mukudu, Watch Mafa, Philip Makumi and Steven Sibanda but they could not blossom to full potential because of lack of management.

“It is important that we have player agents in Mutare who will cater for our own talent,” he said. The former Highway team manager also said that the success of junior league was not in sight in the near future as long as there is poor management.