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Grace Chingoma Sports Reporter
AFTER weeks of battling to have his candidature ratified, ZIFA presidential candidate Trevor Carelse- Juul has outlined his grand plan which includes bringing back the Warriors lost glory and extinguishing the troubled football association’s $6 million debt.
Juul, who lost to Cuthbert Dube following a run-off in the March 2014 ZIFA elections, is seeking a fresh mandate from the assembly at the December 5 elections where he will face off against Philip Chiyangwa, James Takavada and Leslie Gwindi.
The former ZIFA chairman believes the plan he has will help transform the domestic game and clear the reported $6 million debt that is stalking ZIFA.
Speaking from his base in South Africa yesterday, Juul said he would want to revive the “good old days when the Zimbabwe senior national soccer team were a formidable side’’.
Juul, a former player, led ZIFA before he resigned in 1993.
“I believe I have two years left of my mandate which was stopped at the time of the Dream Team. This election will see a new leadership running football for two years which will balance my original mandate,” said Juul.
He said football needed the right kind of leaders, who would heal the game and take it forward.
“I have a strong faith, am a believer and a God-loving man who puts his trust in the Lord.”
Juul said he would work with everyone who loved the game, if he won the election.
“Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. We would like to harness the football strengths and use them to build the game.
“The councillors have to be honest to themselves, look to the future and see how my leadership will bring long-term benefits to all, with sustainable revenues and wealth generation, not short-term cash,” said Juul.
Juul said with a business network across a number of countries in Africa, he believes he can put to bed the ZIFA debt.
“We are building a business plan for football, we need to do the numbers game, analyse and restructure the debt on an agreed valuation and pay off period, so as not to burden the development of football.
“We will bring in a major auditing firm to work with us on this. We will also work with financial advisers to restructure and improve finances with sustainable revenues,” said Juul.
Juul also went down memory lane and relieved the golden era of Zimbabwean football .
“The Dream Team did not happen overnight. First, we worked with Ben Koufie for a number of years preparing the junior team where the likes of Peter Ndlovu and Benjamin Konjera were groomed.
“When I came into ZIFA the success of the national team became our priority and we coined the phrase ‘The Dream Team’.
“We started with introducing regional football, North Zone and South Zone at both Under-21 and senior team.
“We identified 12 of the best coaches in the country with various levels of expertise and skill and started the programme.
“The games were a great success and the fans flocked to see the best of our players all looking to become national team players.
“The next step was the coach, we did a deal with the German government and brought in Reinhard Fabisch.
“He said it would take five years to build a successful team. I told him we had been working for five years and we had the players, the team was ready to go and now was the time for the Dream Team.
“We took him to watch the regional game and he was amazed.
“The programme was in full swing and we were all excited. The first big game versus South Africa was rapidly approaching and there was excitement in the air, the nation was waiting in anticipation.
“However, there was the missing link. Africa’s greatest and most successful goalkeeper, Liverpool’s Bruce Grobbelaar. The problem is he had no Zimbabwean passport. This needed to be sorted and I asked to see the President and presented the case. The President was fantastic and gave great support and asked Dumiso Dabengwa, then the Minister of Home Affairs, to help sort this out.”
The rest is well known and loved history, as the Dream Team proceeded to slay giant after African giant at the National Sports Stadium, recording victories over powerhouses like Cameroon, Egypt and South Africa.
Now Juul believes his transformation plan below will turn the corner for ZIFA:
“My plan to transform the fortunes of Zimbabwean football is imbedded in my 10-point plan.
1. Audit ZIFA accounts and be accountable, creating a philosophy of good corporate governance though all structures of football.
2. Develop ZIFA rights profile, ensuring all revenues being secured through football benefit football. Expanding football reach involving the football people in the game with a social responsibility.
3. Develop sustainable income streams increasing asset base by bringing ownership of stadia under ZIFA structures and developing a football Hall of Fame. Ensure clubs have a larger share of the revenue they generate. Creating player and administrator insurance policies in partnership with insurance companies that can provide a future for those whose lives are dedicated to football.
4. Build a new ZIFA brand rebuilding confidence, working closely with Government and restructuring the football framework, partnering with our internationally recognised successful players to promote the country and enhance the image of Zimbabwe football.
5. Commercialise transparent football management models with sustainable revenue streams through public-driven financial participation, creating wealth opportunities through a football bond for all participating stakeholders. Create confidence with equity participation for the football public and football stake- holders.
6. Develop the game from grassroots through coaching programmes linked to schools, extending the players footballing life span, ensuring the welfare of football players and their families with enhanced regional and provincial football revenues.
7. Amend parts of ZIFA constitution to be inclusive and allowing the public to have a greater say in the future of the game. Ensure football is run and administered by football people who have paid their dues and earned the right to lead football through proven track records. Ensure key players in football such as coaches, referees, juniors and players union are represented.
8. Develop sports tourism and marketability with a stronger more internationally recognised televised league, providing increased international exposure and football wealth. Create sought after league structures that would be cash positive and entice foreign coaches, players, adversting and TV rights.
9. Enable export of talented players abroad and development of FIFA coaching programmes with an international director of coaching to improve local coaches and deploying them through coaching programmes across Zimbabwe, with an annual region football competition, to groom players for national teams at all levels.
10. Promote the spirit of working together uniting the nation with a successful national dream team to reality, giving glory to God Almighty embracing godly principles of doing good to others as one would have done to oneself. Creating a national objective for success that will have the nation buy in as was achieved with the Dream Team.
Online Reporter