adminRobson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor
ZIFA Northern Region chairman Willard Manyengavana has dismissed reports linking him to battling for the presidency of the association when councillors meet in Harare on December 5 to elect the man who will replace Cuthbert Dube.
Manyengavana is one of the names who have been linked to the post since Dube and his entire board were ousted in a rebellion, in which the Regions played a big part, on October 3.
The former CAPS United official yesterday told The Herald that he was concentrating on his role as ZIFA Northern Region chairman, where he believes he still has a lot to offer, instead of dreaming of a huge leap to become the association’s president. “In recent days and weeks, my name has been featuring among those who are vying for the ZIFA presidency and every day there is a report in the media linking me to that post and I felt that the time has come for me to set the record straight,” Manyengavana said.
“Some of the reports in the newspapers have given the impression that I am actively campaigning to be the ZIFA president and using every opportunity to boost my candidature.
“It’s unfortunate because that is not true and it is causing unnecessary friction between me and some of those whom I work with in trying to develop our football as they think that I am going, behind my back, to try and push for myself to become ZIFA president.
“As a football administrator, I serve where the people in the game want me to serve, and I have always put the interests of the game ahead of my personal interests and that is why, when we felt that there were some things that were not being done correctly, we bravely fought against what was happened even when, at one stage, we were suspended for that.
“I believe in team work and my colleagues, whom I have been working with for the last few months in trying to get our game back on track, know that I am not a man who is desperate to fight battles in order to benefit as an individual but we do it for the sake of our country and our game.
“It’s sad that I am now being painted as someone who is desperate to get the job of ZIFA president and going to the newspapers to boost my candidature when the truth is that I have never done that and I have no intention of doing that.
“For some time now, we have been consulting, as Regions, Provinces and other constituencies of the ZIFA Assembly and I have never gone behind the backs of my colleagues to try and push for my candidature to be the ZIFA president and I believe that the same consultation, which we have been doing all along, is the best process for us to get the right people who will lead our football. “I want to make it clear that I don’t have any personal ambitions of being the ZIFA president right now and reports, which have given an impression that I am desperately running a campaign to be one, are not true and should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve.”
Manyengavana said he still had some unfinished business as head of the ZIFA Northern Region.
“Right now, my focus is on the job that I was given by my constituency to lead the ZIFA Northern Region and there is still a lot of work that needs to be done before I can think about shifting my focus elsewhere, including becoming ZIFA president,” said Manyengavana. “We have a lot of programmes that we are running and we have set ourselves some targets and we believe that we will achieve those targets and, until that business is finished, I don’t think I should leave my job in the Region. “We have worked very hard as a team at the Northern Region to give our Region presence in the country and we now have games that are being broadcast live on radio and television and we feel that we can do more for our clubs.”
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