adminAs a nation, we all have the responsibility to national teams and it would be irresponsible of us to abdicate that to Zifa.
It is not a threat by Zifa that the fixture against Egypt is in danger. History is the best teacher.
Already, two age-group teams have failed to fulfil fixtures, something that has left the national association like a convict on death row. The nation awaits to hear from the Confederation of African Football the sanctions for failing to fulfil the age group games.
The national Under-17 team failed to travel to Congo Brazzaville for a second leg of the African Championships in November last year. Earlier, the Young Warriors (Under-20s) failed to travel to Angola on a similar mission.
Previously, countries have been fined and banned for up to three years.
The effect of this eventuality is that two generations of Warriors players would lose as many as three years of age-group exposure against their own peers in Africa.
For any country, the senior national team is the marketing podium of a nation’s football. It would be tragic if Zifa fail to send a team for that crucial fixture. This could result in Fifa suspending the Warriors from international football up to three years.
The biggest losers will be the fans and the young crop of players who include Denver Mukamba, Ariel Sibanda, Masimba Mambare, Kudakwashe Mahachi and Rodwell Chinyengetere, who would lose out. Zimbabwe’s absence on the international scene would deny them opportunities to be looked at by external player agents.
Warriors matches have often been well subscribed. They have brought Zimbabweans of different backgrounds together and football as a sport has proven a unifying factor that has been effective.
Politicians across the divide have been spotted at our stadia cheering the Warriors on.
Zimbabweans must desist from the notion that national teams belong to Zifa.
The national association from its structures at village level consists of the nation’s messengers. These are volunteers who run errands for the 13 million Zimbabweans in soccer ensuring governance of the game is in line with international expectations, regulate competitions and oversee development programmes.
Like veteran sports commentator Charles Mabika often says, fans are the owners of the game. They are therefore owners of the national teams.
Sponsorship of national teams must be a project that all Zimbabweans must engage in.
A dollar campaign in and outside the country can save Zimbabwe football the blushes of international isolation.
The corporate sector in Zimbabwe could adopt one national team and lessen the burden on the Cuthbert Dube-led administration. More often than not, Dube has had to sacrifice his own personal financial resources and injected them into Zifa and national teams.
That has never been the best administration model but he has to be praised as failure to fulfil fixtures has severe ramifications.
It is a well-known fact that Government has so much on its plate, but a decent budget for the senior national team would be appreciated every year. That’s the nation’s team that everyone looks up to and hopes will conquer the world. And through the Warriors, Zimbabwe’s football is judged.
Zifa must go on a building bridges concept and embrace everyone in the sport. Never ending squabbles often have a net effect of painting the sport with bad paint and closing the door for other partners in the game.
Our cry is for Zimbabweans to save the Warriors and raise what the national association needs for the year.
Zifa on the other end should deal decisively with corrupt tendencies in its midst which range from favouritism to age-cheating.
Online Reporter