Supporters want more for Mighty Warriors

Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe National Soccer Supporters Association have pleaded with ZIFA to avail more resources to the history-making women’s football team to help them prepare well for the Rio Olympic Games and the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations tournament.

ZNSSA life president Eddie “Mboma” Nyatanga yesterday said the supporters are happy with the progress that the women’s team have made by qualifying for the twin assignments scheduled for later this year.

The Mighty Warriors will take part for the first time at the Olympic Games in Brazil in four months’ time and will then round off the milestone year at the women’s Afcon where they make their third appearance in Cameroon.

“As the supporters leadership we are happy with what has happened during Chiyangwa’s tenure to date.

“The girls have done what no other football team has done in the history of Zimbabwe and we are appealing to the ZIFA president to look more into their welfare because there is a feeling that they are not getting as much as their male counterparts.

“But, look, these girls have put us on the world map and some of us are already looking for the money to go to Brazil to support them,” said Nyatanga.

The ZNSSA leadership said they were happy with the return of ZIFA benefactor Wicknell Chivayo to support the national teams. Chivayo, who walked away from football two weeks ago following a spectacular fallout with the media and ZIFA, announced he was bouncing back after he was engaged by the association’s president Chiyangwa and the First Lady, Amai Grace Mugabe.

“This is a welcome development and this is exactly what we need to get our football moving in the right direction.

“What Chivayo did is something that is expected from a well-cultured person. He realised his mistake by admitting that he had overreacted to the situation. “I am sure the morale was heavily affected in both the senior national teams when he had decided to withdraw sponsorship because this man has done a lot for them in a short period and now we have very important assignments ahead of us.

“We used to have serious financial challenges before but now things have stabilised. With Chivayo back on board we now have to focus on the Olympic Games, the women’s Afcon and our Warriors road to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.

“There might have been differences of opinion but let’s give this guy his credit. He came when there was no money and he made a very big change. We also learnt he learnt his lessons from all this hullabaloo because journalists are there to do their job and they don’t write stories from nothing.

“But let’s all work for progress. Let’s forgive one another and work together,” said Nyatanga.

Chivayo signed a $1m deal to sponsor ZIFA president Chiyangwa over the next three years and has so far spent about $600 000 in support of the association’s operations. The Harare businessman has promised to take care of the teams in their preparations and has also promised the Warriors $250 000 if they qualify for the next Afcon tournament. Last week he settled Warriors coach Callisto Pasuwa’s salaries which had not been paid for the past three months.

He also paid $9 000 to the Mighty Warriors.