Chronicle Editor
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
FORMER Zifa vice-president Vincent Pamire has chided board member Philemon Machana for insinuating that Premier Soccer League (PSL) club owners were not hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Machana last week told Sunday News that club owners’ expenses had been wilted down with the halt in football due to Covid-19 while income they had lost was inconsequential. Pamire said it was a reckless statement coming at a time when Zifa are expected to come up with a fair and equitable distribution of funds from the Fifa Covid-19 relief package. He said a “genuine football administrator” would focus on how they would assist clubs and particularly players in these trying times.
“He (Machana) does not deserve to be in that seat judging by his statement as it does not reflect a leader who wants to see progress in the development of the game. What should be of concern to him is how to improve the game locally and put their programmes in the right context instead of looking at them from the situations in other countries,” said Pamire.
Pamire said the time could be nigh for “genuine football leaders” to take over the reins in leading the sport, adding hiding behind Fifa should be a thing of the past.
“We need to bring in genuine leaders that have love of the game at heart and will ensure its development.
“The Rwanda government had its own way with leaders of their association despite concerns from Fifa and I think it is an example we should follow if we are to see positive progress in the local game,” he said.
Some PSL club officials said Machana’s remarks could have been motivated to justify a lower relief package for the top flight teams. Machana said PSL clubs were spending more than they were making when the league is running and Zifa was in possession of the figures involved.
Meanwhile, some Zifa councillors have urged the association to emulate the Ghanaian Football Association in releasing the figures of the payout for the Fifa bailout funds. Councillors who declined to be named for fear of victimisation said the Ghana model was transparent and easily outlines who gets how much.
“Look it’s a clear one-page statement that details which affiliate gets how much. It is transparent and does not leave any lingering questions. In their (Zifa) announcements, the association was now stating the money in local currency but why not just state it in United States dollars so that it is simply? The way the (Zifa) executive is doing it raises a lot of questions. Some affiliates are yet to be even told how much they would be receiving although the money has started being transferred to others,” said the councillor.
Zifa got a total of US$1,8 million as a part of Covid-19 relief funds from Fifa and Caf.
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