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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
ZIFA president Felton Kamambo has vowed to bring to an end the cancer of political toxicity that has been eating into the domestic game over the years at the expense of developmental issues.
Kamambo, who of late has been involved in endless brawling with his successor Philip Chiyangwa, admitted in his column in ZIFA’s new e-magazine that football in this country has not made any progress because of the endless politicking.
The Harare executive has set himself for a fresh start this year when he hopes football issues will take centre stage. ZIFA have a busy schedule this year which will see almost all the national teams across age-groups involved in international commitments that includes the Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifiers.
“2020 is the year that Football Will Do The Talking!” Kamambo declared.
“There will be no room for toxicity, no room for endless and meaningless football politics that make it to the back pages of newspapers while adding little value to our game,” said Kamambo.
Apparently, the game has taken a dip during his tenure despite the high hopes that the football constituency had when he took over the reins from Chiyangwa in December 2018.
His first 12 months in office have ranked among the worst episodes of domestic football as the same old issues bordering on poor governance, lack of corporate trust, bureaucratic bungling and the endless boardroom squabbles took the centre stage to the detriment of the game.
Last year, the Warriors, who are the flagship team, hogged the limelight for the wrong reasons at the AFCON tournament in Egypt where players engaged in endless strikes because of unfulfilled promises and then returned home empty-handed after failing to win a game in their group.
The Mighty Warriors also hit their lowest ebb when they boycotted a home match against Zambia which eventually cost the nation a shot at the 2020 Olympic Games.
But Kamambo maintains his tenure was not going to be smooth-sailing after inheriting an organisation in turmoil.
“When I won the right to occupy this iconic position — which comes with the mandate to lead the Zimbabwe Football Association — I was not under any illusions.
“The hard work that needed to be done was apparent for all to see. Our game was in a mess. Since that day — 16 December 2018 — I have tried my best to make Zimbabwean football better.
“As anticipated it has not been an easy road and I will be the first to admit that Felton Kamambo has not been the perfect ZIFA president.
“But then again we are mere mortals aren’t we? No one is perfect! But what separates great leaders from the rest is how they react to mistakes.
“The late American poet Nikki Giovanni captured it well when she said: “Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to error that counts”.
“The unfortunate events that unfolded at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Egypt last year are the kind of stuff we should not allow a repeat of. The failure by the Mighty Warriors to fulfil a home fixture against Zambia in the Olympic qualifier in September, 2019 also left a sour taste in the mouth.
“The unfortunate incidents involving our national teams are sad episodes we have to learn from. In the aftermath of those dark moments we sat down with the players, ironed out our differences and the result has been cordial relations between the players and the ZIFA leadership.
“We reacted to our mistakes graciously and we find ourselves in a much better space as 2020 comes along. The Mighty Warriors will be camping ahead of all their matches and will be treated like the national treasures that they are. That’s my word, I will stick to it.
“The Warriors have moved on in style from that Cairo mayhem, posting good results in both the World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers they played in 2019.
“Just before Christmas I personally wrote letters to each and every one of the players that donned the Warriors shirt in 2019, wishing them Happy Holidays and the best of what 2020 has to offer. The response from the lads was heart-warming.
“However, the one from Tendai Darikwa was reassuring, it’s a message that gave me hope as the New Year begins to slowly unfold — second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour… The Nottingham Forest defender, who was injured at the time, sent a Whatsapp message to Warriors team manager Wellington Mpandare reaffirming his commitment to the national cause. “Merry Christmas to you manager. Tell the president thank you for the letter and I will be back in 2020 to lead the nation once fit”, reads the message.
“Now when you lead an FA that has players who are ready to die for the nation like Darikwa, players who put their body on the line like Khama Billiat and players who wear the national shirt with pride like captain Knowledge Musona you feel like you owe the nation a piece of your skin,” said Kamambo.
Online Reporter