admin
Tadious Manyepo
Sports Reporter
GOVERNMENT is cognisant of the essential role which football plays in the country’s economic ecosystem and the national game could be back as soon as conditions permit.
Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Deputy Minister, Tino Machakaire, told The Herald the chances were bright football could resume in the country.
ZIFA, this week, sent an application to the Sports Commission for a review of the ban imposed on the national game.
“The main impediment has always been Covid-19, as you are aware,” said Machakaire.
“After careful consideration, of the ZIFA application to resume football activities last year, we cleared clubs from the Premiership division to commence group training, late last year.
“There were also proposals, for a mini-tournament, involving all the 18 teams in the top-flight, which was scheduled to take place in December, with no fans in attendance, and in a secure bio-bubble.
“Of course, the tournament didn’t happen but the teams were all scheduled to continue preparing for a new season early in January.
“However, Covid-19 cases were spiraling and authorities had to halt all sporting activities, including football.
“The pandemic appears to be easing, and that gives us hope that sport should also be allowed to resume, but we are going to be very careful.
“We know how important football, in particular and sport, in general, are to the country. Hundreds of thousands are employed in football, or football-related industries.
“We are going to look at it, in the not-so-distant future, but what we will do is take a cautious approach.
‘’The football stakeholders need to be safe from the coronavirus pandemic but, definitely, we are looking at it and soon we will have a clear position, on how and when, we will proceed with the game.”
With several clubs now facing serious financial challenges, scores of footballers, and their supporting staff, are now leading desperate lives.
Some promising players have lost interest in the game and have started pursuing other things.
Machakaire said should football return, Premiership activities will be allowed first and other divisions will follow in a phased manner.
Premier Soccer League chairman, Farai Jere, this week revealed the elite clubs were ready for action and could not afford to go, another year, without playing football.
Jere said the football leaders have put in place satisfactory groundwork for the safe return of the game.
The CAPS United boss issued a passionate plea, during a radio programme on Tuesday morning, when he highlighted have encountered huge losses and some were on the brink of collapse because of the prolonged inactivity.
Jere said the health protocols put in place by the PSL medical committee when the league was given the initial nod to resume last November, were still applicable.
He said they did not encounter any problems, when they were preparing for the bubble tournament, which had been proposed by the Sports Commission.
“Clubs and players were training and we didn’t have any incidents,’’ he said. ‘’We could have been having this conversation, saying PSL have flouted these regulations but that’s not the case.
“So, the issue of protocols, they are there. They were actually given to us. It’s a document that was all encompassing, which had all the stakeholders involved.
“It’s quite a solid document. What changed in January was the new variant that came and the Government said we are coming back to zero so that we can relook at our things because of the new variant.
“So, the protocols are there, the clubs are aware, the clubs are ready to resume football and this is the conversation on our different platforms as leaders, from the emergency committee to the governors.
“They are hungry for the game; they want football to come back.
“Football is needed in a nation like Zimbabwe because we are a football nation. Our people are missing it so, as PSL, I can tell you that I feel pity.’’
Jere said the prolonged inactivity was taking a huge toll on the clubs and the players.
“Clubs are suffering, the PSL is suffering because they are carrying huge debts,’’ he said.
“I am owner of a club and I can tell you how much, in terms of salaries, we are paying every month.
“It’s very painful for these clubs. What was at risk when this thing (Covid-19) started, which is very common across the nations, is the fans not to come to the stadium.
“The players are not high risk, if all protocols are in place, all these guys, even in Europe, they are catching it and shaking it within three to four days and they are back in training.
“We are not here to cry for the fans to come to the stadium. We can do live streaming for them, they can watch football at home, they have things to talk about, away from the day-to-day problems.
“That’s the beauty about football, it’s a sport for everyone and, in our country, mostly the poor find solace in discussing football.
“But, we depriving those guys of that opportunity because of issues that some of us are not aware of.’’
Online Reporter