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Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor
MIGHTY Warriors fitness trainer Gerald Maguranyanga has demanded the resignation of Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze in the wake of the crisis that has left players stranded at Zifa Village with barely enough food to feed them. Images of the Mighty Warriors having sadza and a small portion of boiled matemba and muboora, for their lunch at Zifa Village, and using plastic chairs as tables for their meals, were leaked to the media this week as the crisis that has gripped the team’s camp came to light.
The team has been holed up at the Zifa Village, four days after they completed their mission to knock out Botswana and book a place in the final qualifying round for the African Women Championships against Zambia, because there is no money even for their bus fares home.
While their victory over Botswana cheered the nation, and was hailed by Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Andrew Langa, the Mighty Warriors feel their country has turned its back on them and, despite their success story, all they have faced are challenges and, now, they can’t even afford to pay for their trip home from national duty.
Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela told The Herald yesterday that his association was battling to get money to pay the players so they can go back home.
“We are working hard to ensure that their grievances are addressed. There is work in progress in relation to their allowances,” said Gwesela.
“We would also like to take this opportunity to continue to appeal to the corporate world to heed to our appeal for sponsorship, without sponsorship, football will continue to suffer.”
Reports have claimed that some of the money raised from gate receipts when the Mighty Warriors hosted Botswana was used to pay for the travel expenses of the Warriors who went to Malawi for an international friendly this week.
Zimbabwe Women Football boss, Mavis Gumbo, who was a key figure in the revitalisation of the Mighty Warriors brand since coming into office as a Zifa board member in charge of that portfolio four years ago, could not be drawn to comment on the current impasse between the players and the association.
Sport, Arts and Culture Deputy Minister, Tabetha Malinga Kanengoni, said she would only be in a position to comment on the crisis today.
“I am not in a position to comment at this particular time. I don’t have anything concrete to say but if you phone tomorrow afternoon I should be able to give some response,” she told The Herald.
But Maguranyanga, who has also worked at Dynamos and in the domestic rugby fraternity as a manager and fitness guru, laid the blame squarely on the Zifa secretariat and demanded the resignation of chief executive Mashingaidze whom he described as “a pathological liar”.
Maguranyanga claimed Mashingaidze had failed to honour a host of promises, which he had given to the Mighty Warriors, and said the ill-treatment that the players and their coaching staff were getting, while serving their nation, was tantamount to abuse of the girl child.
He claims the Zifa chief executive, who also has had a row with Warriors’ coach Ian Gorowa who described him as a “habitual liar” promised to provide the bus fare for the players but, two days later, nothing has materialised and, to make matters worse, there has been no word from Mashingaidze.
Maguranyanga claims:
The team did not eat adequately, on eve of match against Botswana, and the team doctor had to bring supplementary food secured by her own funds and she also provided six protective knee guards on MatchDay.
Even the US$5 promised by Mashingaidze yesterday was not given to the players.
Girls were hungry on the eve of the Botswana match. How do you not have adequate food for the national team on the eve of such a big Afcon qualifier?
Girls have been riding on the back of a well-wisher’s pick-up truck. How is that possible for a national team? Girls have been eating matemba and nyevhe. No tomato. No soup. No onion. Nothing. Meat has become a luxury.
They appear live on national television, playing for their country, and all that they get in return of just US$5
Maguranyanga saluted Gumbo, whom she described as “an amazing woman who has moved mountains to get the national team to where it is today” but said she could only do so much, as an individual, but the Mighty Warriors fitness trainer was scathing on the Zifa Office and its leadership.
“Mavis Gumbo is amazing, she put together a trip to Uruguay for the Mighty Warriors and under her good leadership the team has played friendlies in Europe, South America and North Africa where they have been treated as a proper national team,” said Maguranyanga.
“She is energetic and passionate but she can only do so much. The national team belongs to the association and the nation and not to one person, its chairperson. She thinks really big, I like her and respect her too.
“But I can’t say the same for Mashingaidze. I actually fee feel sorry for him in a way because he works in a poisoned environment where it’s normal and very fashionable for the people in that office to lie even when they are dealing with a national team and national team players.
“Ian Gorowa is a brave man, he called a spade a spade and the rest of us in football should also raise our voice and raise the blatant shortcomings that everyone can see in the CEO of Zifa who, if he is not lying to you, something that he has done to these girls in camp, then he is not picking up your call.
“I believe I have a right to speak, without fear, as long as I believe I’m saying the truth about someone who is misfiring in a public office and we have this crisis in the Mighty Warriors today because Mashingaidze has not handled the issue like a professional.”
Maguranyanga said the crisis could have been averted if the people at Zifa House had treated the Mighty Warriors with respect and, crucially, had not given them false promises that their concerns would be addressed.
“Mashingaidze is the biggest charmer, with his charming smile and good looks, but that dude will set off a lie detector machine from 10 metres away,” said Maguranyanga.
“But he is not alone, it’s the culture at Zifa House, and you get a feeling that the other guys have been taught very well that lying is the way to handle business at that office. The other day the ladies needed a bus to go for training from Zifa Village.
“There is a complete lack of professionalism. They have fought every national coach over money, why, because they are lying to those people instead of taking to them in a professional manner.”
Online Reporter