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FIFA development officer for Southern Region Ashford Mamelodi yesterday urgently urged ZIFA to deal with issues around women’s football in the country.
The veteran administrator, who also met with Sport and Recreation Minister Makhosini Hlongwane, is also expected to meet with the ZIFA board.
“For things like women’s football, for example, I really don’t know why we should continue to have problems,” said Mamelodi.
“This one should have been nipped in the bud.
“Our view when the new executive came in, we made it clear to them as FIFA, that there is a pending urgent matter and I think a lot of my emails to MaSibanda (Miriam, former Zimbabwe Women’s Football League chairperson) did say to her that the new executive committee would actually deal with it.
“So, I mean, we request that the women’s football issues be addressed urgently because this doesn’t have anything to do with the debt, it is just about making sure that the women’s football fraternity is organised and they determine their leadership and go back to business.”
Yesterday, Sibanda and women’s football chairpersons from the splinter group, made their submissions to the FIFA representative.
The Northern Region women’s football chairperson Wilbert Rambanapasi even told the point person that their players, who form the bulk of the Mighty Warriors squad, will not go to Africa Cup of Nations until ZIFA recognises the splinter group as an official league.
“I know sometimes MaSibanda, for example, felt deserted but our hands were very tied because as FIFA we couldn’t come up with a directive on women’s football, it really needed a local solution,” said Mamelodi.
“Regrettably, she was then pulled into the courts and when things like that happen you have to wait until they are done.”
Online Reporter