SRC, women football stakeholders meet

Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
SPORTS Commission acting director-general Joseph Muchechetere is optimistic that their joint meeting with ZIFA and Women Football stakeholders will yield an end to the problems hounding the game. The indaba, which takes place at the Commission’s offices at the National Sports Stadium, seeks to address several issues affecting women’s football. There have also been calls for ZIFA to set up league structures for women’s football.

It is the second attempt that the commission and ZIFA are trying to hold the meeting after the initial indaba scheduled for last Thursday at the same venue was moved to allow more stakeholders to participate.

Muchechetere said all interested stakeholders are welcome at the meeting to map the way forward. “ZIFA has already invited stakeholders from women football and that means the national stakeholders, provincials and district members of ZIFA have been invited.

“Those interested, but are not part of ZIFA members are invited. We have invited direct stakeholders ZTISU, NAPH and NASH and other stakeholders who have got interest in women football.

“We are determined that the meeting will identify all the issues and the suggestions or recommendations on how women football should be organised in the country. So the purpose of the meeting is to flag out the issues and come up with recommendations,” said Muchechetere.

Muchechetere said the resolutions would then be presented to ZIFA with an expectation that the football mother body will deal with the issues that would have been raised.

The meeting comes at a time when ZIFA have just suspended women football board member Cecilia Gambe for bringing the game of football into disrepute following her pitch invasion during a Castle Lager Premiership tie at Sakubva.

ZIFA also plans to drop criminal charges against former women football boss Miriam Sibanda and her two executive committee members — Benny Mamoche and Edwin Magosvongwe.

The move has been put on hold by the courts which directed that ZIFA president, Philip Chiyangwa would have to come in person to court if he wishes to withdraw charges against the trio.