adminLovemore Dube Sports Editor
ZIFA have defended their high budget for their last Sunday World Cup qualifier against Guinea in Conakry. Xolisani Gwesela, the association’s communications manager said the $184 000 figure was justified. Zifa have come under fire for their high budgets and at the beginning of the week were heavily criticized by Eddie Chivero of the soccer supporters association.
Chivero felt the Zifa estimations were far too high. Last month the national soccer body said it needed almost a million dollars for the two home matches against Egypt and Mozambique and one away to Guinea in the World Cup campaign this year. Many felt Zifa wanted to settle some of their debts by coming up with such astronomical figures.
Yesterday Gwesela came to the rescue of the association from an angry nation.
He said when Guinea played Zimbabwe in the first leg, it was resolved that each one of the countries would take care of its own expenses.
“When Guinea came here, the association had no money. So what we did was to ask them to take care of their own expenses and that we would in return pay for our own fares away. They agreed to that arrangement.
“This explains the high figure we set for the trip to Conakry. We had to take care of ourselves there,” said Gwesela.
When Zifa play host to a nation, they have to pay for the referees’ airfares, visiting team’s accommodation, food, local transport, hire of ground and other related hosting expenses.
Unlike most of the football bodies on the continent, Zifa do not enjoy sponsorship from the Government or corporate sponsors and have to carry a begging bowl all the time ahead of international fixtures. Until there is funding from the fiscus or private companies, national teams will continue to struggle and success should be forgotten about.
So Zimbabwe was expected to pay air tickets for its players to Conakry via Senegal. A quick check with travel agencies this week showed that the tickets were $1 340 while Zifa were made to pay $2 900 for each as they paid at the last minute.
Funding for the away trip was only finalised a few hours before departure as both Zifa and the Zimbabwe Football Trust struggled to raise enough money.
Once in Conakry, Zifa were expected to pay for their own transport, accommodation and food which brought their estimates to $184 000.
The trip was made a week after Zifa had hosted Egypt in a match said to have cost the national association $234 000.
For that match Zifa had to pay for its own players’ camp and the visitors’ accommodation at a Harare hotel.
Zifa is $4 million in debt.
They were at the beginning of the year advised by Fifa not to spend more than they can generate. The advice was that they skip some of their international commitments.
Some sections of Government opposed Zifa’s willingness to stay away from the international scene.
So much needs to be done to clean the Zifa image so that soccer attracts sponsorships.
Threats to deal with those with divergent views can only lead to more apathy towards the local game that needs deliverance from the Zifa Assembly.
Online Reporter