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Ngqwele Dube, Sport Correspondent
THE country’s football governing body, Zifa has appointed a five-member diaspora committee to raise funds for national teams’ excursions.
The senior national women and men’s sides are taking part in continental championships in November this year as well as in January 2017 respectively and Zifa needs to raise cash to fund preparations as well as taking part in the events.
The committee whose members are based in South Africa is headed by Steven Mandigora, a senior banker with Nedbank, former Warriors and Highlanders defender Alexander Maseko, former Mamelodi Sundowns captain Esrom Nyandoro, KPMG accountant Jeremiah Singizi and journalist Simba Rushwaya who is heading the public relations and marketing portfolio with Joseph Busha, who runs an investment company, coming in as a patron.
Zifa vice-president Omega Sibanda confirmed the members saying they are hoping to follow up with a similar committee in the United Kingdom in the near future. It is the first time the football body is officially reaching out to Zimbabweans living abroad to assist in generating funds for the national teams.
Speaking from South Africa, Rushwaya said they were preparing to launch the campaign at the end of October that would see them reaching out to Zimbabweans in that country to assist raise funds for the national teams. He said the event will be held in Sandton at a venue to be identified.
“We have a huge number of Zimbabweans in South Africa and we thought it would be a good start to reach out to our nationals so they come on board and raise money for national teams. Our teams have been performing well of late but we all know Zifa is facing hard times and they cannot fund national teams. I think it is a duty that we should all share as Zimbabweans and ensure the best conditions as the Mighty Warriors and Warriors prepare for the continental competitions,” said Rushwaya.
He said they would be looking at securing sponsorship and donations from locals based in SA.
The Mighty Warriors qualified for the African Women Cup of Nations that runs from 19 November to 3 December in Cameroon while the Warriors are part of the teams who will take part in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations that takes place in Gabon from 14 January to 5 February.
Fifa development officer for Southern African Ashford Mamelodi recently heaped praise on the country’s national teams saying their performances were impressive defying the struggles that players and technical teams go through to fulfill fixtures and goes against the financial crisis facing Zifa.
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