PSL build bridges

Sports Reporter
THE Premier Soccer League have, in a symbolic gesture pregnant with a thrust to build bridges shattered by their acrimonious relationship with ZIFA, congratulated the Association’s leader Philip Chiyangwa in his landmark election as COSAFA boss.

The country’s top-flight league and the football governing body have been at odds in the past few months after a spectacular fallout sparked by differences over the number of clubs that should be relegated from the PSL and which should be promoted from the Division One leagues.

The impasse has already claimed the head of the PSL chairman Peter Dube, who was suspended by ZIFA pending the determination of his status by the Association’s Congress.

Lewis Uriri, the outgoing CAPS United chairman, who has been also acting as the spokesman of the Emergency Committee that has been running the PSL, was also thrown out of football leadership by ZIFA.

PSL chief executive Kenny Ndebele has also been in the eye of the storm with the ZIFA leadership accusing him of alleged disobedience and calling for him to be whipped into line.

Ndebele, one of the best football administrators of his generation, is set to bring the curtain down on his current term of office when his contract with the PSL expires at the end of this month.

Indications, though, are that it will be renewed as he is regarded to be the heartbeat of the top-flight league and has led its secretariat with a touch of professionalism.

The PSL have referred the dispute between the two parties to the Court of Arbitration for Sport which is based in Zurich, Switzerland, a move that has drawn the ire of ZIFA who have rejected to be part of that process.

But, yesterday, in a show of their intentions to build bridges with the ZIFA leadership, the PSL Board of Governors congratulated the Association’s president Chiyangwa following his stunning triumph to become the leader of COSAFA.

In a remarkable victory, which came exactly a year after he upset the odds to become the ZIFA president with a landslide victory that swept away the challenges of Trevor Carelse-Juul, Leslie Gwindi and former Soccer Star of the Year Joseph Takavada, Chiyangwa landed the top post in COSAFA with another victory that is sending shockwaves across Africa.

The Harare property mogul was elected unopposed after his challengers, Danny Jordaan of South Africa and incumbent Suketu Patel of the Seychelles, threw in the towel before the elections got underway after realising they could not match those who were backing Chiyangwa, Given the CAF leadership’s huge interests in the outcome of this poll, with Issa Hayatou set to battle for the right to retain his post as the head of the continental game amid vigorous calls for change, Chiyangwa was not expected to win.

After all, Patel — who is also a CAF vice-president — was considered a heavyweight who had the backing of Hayatou to keep holding on to his COSAFA leadership and influence his constituency to vote for the Cameroonian strongman in the CAF elections.

Jordaan, too, was well backed by Hayatou’s team and was considered a better bet than an outsider like Chiyangwa who could not be relied upon to dance to the politics that have always shaped football on the continent.

That Chiyangwa’s own house was in turmoil, sparked by the fallout with the PSL over the relegation and promotion stand-off, was used by that group as part of their ammunition to try and convince the COSAFA leaders that he wasn’t the best man suited for the job of leading them.

But, in a stunning knockout, Chiyangwa defied the odds and swept to victory with a success that has sent tremors across African football. And the PSL, in a show of their willingness to heal the wounds inflicted by their fallout with ZIFA, quickly grabbed the initiative to congratulate Chiyangwa, “The PSL Board of Governors, Clubs, Management and Staff would like to congratulate you on being elected the president of the Council of Southern African Football Associations,” Ndebele wrote in a letter pregnant with symbolism.

“We wish you a successful term of office.”

That the PSL could be wishing Chiyangwa success, in the wake of the spectacular fallout between the two parties of late, is very revealing. Champions CAPS United also joined the bandwagon and sent their congratulations to Chiyangwa.

Club president Farai Jere said it was something that needed to be celebrated because it’s the first time a Zimbabwean has landed such a big regional post in football administration.

“Congratulations Mr ZIFA and COSAFA president,” CAPS United boss Jere said.

“There is no question that you are made of something special.

“In just one year you have achieved so much, things that other local football leaders never imagined was possible, and we want to tell you that we are with you in your corner.

“The thrust right now should be about building our football but we seem to be busy trying to destroy each other when we have a grand opportunity to take our game to a whole new level. There is something that the COSAFA leaders saw in you Mr president and our wish is that we also see those values and you help us take our game forward.

“What is needed now is unity of purpose and that is the signal we should be sending to the sponsors rather than giving them this impression that we don’t know what we are doing.”

Chiyangwa is set to unveil a sponsorship package for the Warriors and ZIFA tomorrow after concluding a deal with a local company.