Influential UK post for Sabeta

Collin Matiza

Sports Editor

SEASONED Zimbabwean female sports journalist Chipo Sabeta is over the moon after she was recently appointed as the African Cup of Nations/UK (ANCUK) Communication Executive in England.

The ANCUK is a community interest project that was started in 2009 by Africans for African diasporans to use the youth to showcase their talents in the football tournament to be scouted to major top-flight academies or clubs.

The project has won numerous accolades but the most memorable one being that the main founding member Dennis Mahadha Kirunda, received a gold medal for exceptional services to grassroots football development from Prince William in 2013 when the English Football Association was celebrating 150 years of football development since its inception at Buckingham Palace in London.

The project is fully affiliated to English Football Association. 

And the ANCUK recently appointed UK-based Sabeta as their communication executive as she added another feather to her cap.

In his letter of appointment, which was recently delivered to Sabeta, the secretary-general and internal football development executive, John Fayika, said she will now be the head of ANCUK’s media and communication for the ANCUK Board.

“This position is unpaid, however, when you work and spend for the greater good of developing ANCUK, your funds are reimbursed and when you work collectively on any project, the organization pays our expenses,” said Fayika.

Sabeta will take up her new post for the next three years and part of her responsibilities will include the following:

a) To lend knowledge and skills to ANCUK organization as head of media and communications with the expression of support for the organization’s mission and programmers and in so doing, enhance the credibility of the football and talent development for African diaspora and the image of Africa in football.

b) Support the activities of marketing and sponsorship with Daniel Lutaaya, the head of marketing. 

c) Contribute to the ANCUK development women’s programmes by sharing her insights, experiences, and approach of getting African women in diaspora into football.

Fayika also said that with Sabeta’s experience and contacts at world football governing body, FIFA, “we collectively lobby for ANCUK to be recognised with a vision of getting ANCUK into their funding structure for both women’s and men’s football development”.

When contacted yesterday by Zimpapers Sports Hub, Sabeta said she has been on cloud nine since her latest appointment by ANCUK.  “I feel honoured to take on this role. It is a challenging role but it also all allows me to learn. 

“It’s an opportunity to encourage and promote inclusion, equality and diversity among Africans in the abroad.

“I also look forward to bringing my experience in sport jounalism, administration and communication to bear on the important reform work that is already underway within the organisation. 

“AFCON/UK is taking a fresh approach to its work — and I am eager to play a role in making that approach as effective and lasting as possible,” she said from her base in London.