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Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe National Soccer Supporters Association have described the impending visit by FIFA for a fact-finding mission on issues bedevilling the administration of local football as a huge leap in the right direction.
A six-member FIFA delegation is expected in the country today, as the world soccer governing body and the Sports and Recreation Commission edge closer to bringing to an end the crisis that has crippled operations at troubled ZIFA for over a year.
The delegation, which also includes officials from the Confederation of African Football, is expected to spend three days in the country.
ZNSSA secretary-general Joseph Mutawu yesterday told The Herald that dialogue with FIFA was the only way for the beleaguered Zimbabwean football to get out of the woods.
Apparently, the supporters who have been starved of opportunities to watch their favourite Warriors and Mighty Warriors teams, and their age-group sides in action at all levels, are relieved with the latest development, which they hope would speed up the process of the lifting of the FIFA suspension.
“This is a step in the right direction. As supporters we are relieved, at least FIFA are showing concern to the situation in Zimbabwe. It’s good that they (the FIFA delegation) are coming here. Considering where we are coming from, we can only see light at the end of the tunnel through this visit,” said Mutawu.
Details of the visit were still sketchy by yesterday. Officials from ZIFA and the Sports and Recreation Commission have remained tight-lipped about the visit.
But according to our sister paper, The Sunday Mail, the delegation will comprise FIFA head of development programmes in Africa Solomon Mudege — a Zimbabwean based at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, the senior member associations governance manager Sarah Solemale, David Fani who heads the world body’s regional office for Southern Africa, CAF director of member associations Sarah Mukuna and COSAFA president Artur de Almeida de Silva.
The visit puts paid to the narrative being peddled by ousted ZIFA president Felton Kamambo, Philemon Machana, Bryton Malandule and ex-chief executive officer Joseph Mamutse that FIFA were not prepared to engage with anyone other than the quartet.
The quartet was kicked out of football by the ZIFA Congress via a vote of no confidence last year and have been fighting tooth and nail to find their way back, despite the serious allegations of corruption and sexual abuse of female referees hanging on their necks.
All the same, the four-year term of Kamambo’s presidency expired on December 17, 2022.
The FIFA delegation is expected to conduct a series of meetings with various football stakeholders. The meetings could culminate in the appointment of a normalisation committee to run the affairs of ZIFA in the lead-up to fresh elections and ultimately the lifting of the suspension by the world football body.
“Unfortunately we do not have the full details about this visit but we are sure it will lead us somewhere towards the resolution of the standoff,” said Mutawu.
“Like we have always said from day one, we want to see Zimbabwean football back on the international stage, stronger than it was before.
“It’s been a long and painful year for Zimbabwean football. ZIFA have to be readmitted this year, that’s our plea. How they are going to do it we don’t know.
“We trust all the stakeholders involved in this will find a way forward.
“We would be happy if they (the FIFA delegation) also give us an audience as supporters. We also have our own views and contributions that we think may help to move forward.
“For once, all the stakeholders should try to put the country first. There is a lot of toxicity in our football and it’s time football comes first,” said Mutawu.
Zimbabwe’s membership rights at FIFA were suspended last year in February after the world football governing body ruled that the intervention by the Sports Commission to suspend the ZIFA board pending investigations constituted third party interference.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter