Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE holy book says a prophet has no honour in his hometown; and probably aptly applies to former Zifa president Phillip Chiyangwa, whose stature in African football politics seems to be on the rise after being rejected in his hometown elections on December 16, 2018.
He lost a re-election bid in a shocking outcome to current Zifa president Felton Kamambo.
The flamboyant property mogul had dramatically shot to the highest domestic football office on December 5, 2015, after springing a surprise win over former Zifa boss Trevor Carelse-Juul.
Being someone who believes in himself, two years after landing the Zifa post, Chiyangwa embarked on what looked like, not only an impossible, but suicidal mission to unseat long-serving Caf president Issa Hayatou.
The Cameroonian had been at the helm of African football for 29 years and was seeking to further extend his stay in office.
What made Chiyangwa’s mission even more daunting was that the man he was pushing to replace Hayatou, Ahmad Ahmad, was a virtual unknown in African football circles.
What only stood out in Ahmad’s CV was that he was once Minister of Fisheries in his native Madagascar, but was that enough to unseat Hayatou, who was known for instilling the fear of God into those that dared cross his path.
However, when election day came the football world was stunned, Ahmad, whose campaign manager was Chiyangwa, was the new head of African football.
Fast forward 1 456 days later, Chiyangwa is again behind the new Caf president, South African Patrice Motsepe.
While Ahmad is from Southern Africa, Mostepe makes history by becoming the first Caf boss from an English-speaking country following decades of dominance by Francophone and Arab countries.
Since its formation in 1957, Caf has had six presidents: Abdel Aziz Abdallah Salem (Egypt) 1957-1958; Abdel Aziz Moustafa (Egypt) 1958-1968; Abdel Halim Mohammad (Sudan) 1968-1972 and 1987-1988; Ydnekatchew Tessema (Ethiopia) 1972-1987; Issa Hayatou (Cameroon) 1988-2017; and Ahmad Ahmad (Madagascar) 2017-2021.
When Motsepe’s bid was announced, very few people probably gave the mining magnate and Mamelodi Sundowns owner any chance, but whenever Chiyangwa is in the thick of things, nothing can be said to be impossible.
After all, Chiyangwa, had wormed his way into becoming Cosafa president before being rejected at Zifa in 2018.
Being boss of the regional Cosafa bloc gave him a powerful platform to campaign for a candidate from the constituency they had collectively selected, unlike in the Ahmad campaign where he had to persuade individual football association bosses.
It’s now clear that whether you like him or not, Chiyangwa has now become a kingmaker in African football.
He has proved it with the election of Ahmad in 2017 and now Motsepe unopposed.
Not only was Motsepe backed for his business acumen, but also the promises he presented in his election manifesto before his challengers pulled out to back his candidacy following the intervention of Fifa president Giovanni Infantino, who brokered a unity pact.
Motsepe promised:
- Develop football in African countries through sponsorships, private sector, and other partners;
- Improve efficiency and professionalism of Caf competitions and staff;
- Implement and adhere to governance and auditing global best practices;
- Invest in African football infrastructure;
- Invest in youth and the future of African football;
- Develop and grow women’s football;
- Protect integrity and professionalism of referees;
- Establish video assistant referees;
- Establish statutory reforms; and
- Establish partnerships with Fifa and other continental governing bodies.
Should all these be followed up during Motsepe’s tenure, African football may begin to rise from the potential it has shown for decades, but scuppered by greed from those that occupied Caf House in Cairo.
Hopefully being an outsider, Mostepe’s broom will sweep clean and his policies benefit the game on the entire continent, and not just his home country.
But better still, we hope he will not be caught up in the cobweb of the rot that has stymied African football for decades.
Online Reporter