adminRay Bande Senior Sports Reporter
FRIENDS of the game of football must persuade Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministry leader Prophet Walter Magaya to become the next Zifa president, says Zimbabwe Women Soccer League board member (competitions) Cecilia Gambe.
The highest office in domestic football administration fell vacant on Saturday after disgraced Cuthbert Dube resigned moments before the Zifa Extraordinary General Meeting whose agenda was to kick him out of office.
As the nation braces for the December 5 elections to chose the new Zifa president, a number of names have been thrown around and the charismatic PHD leader is one of those high profile personalities whose name has been linked to the top Zifa post.
Prophet Magaya, however, this week dismissed suggestions that he is positioning himself to become the next president of the debt-ridden association.
Be that as it may, in a wide ranging interview on the way forward for Zifa after Dube’s unceremonious departure, Gambe said she believes Magaya is the right man for the job given his passion for sport in general and football in particular.
The candid Mutare football administrator said he opinion on Magaya is not only influenced by the prospects of Zifa being bailed out by the religious leaders but his passion for the game.
“Cuthbert Dube’s only weakness was that he was not hands-on when it comes to business at Zifa. He was not really involved in the day-to-day running of Zifa. He lacked that `hands-on approach to busuiness thereby leaving the secretariat to create their own little banana republic at Zifa.
“Whoever comes in has an uphill task. It is not easy to inherit a $6 million debt. Zifa is not getting any grant from Fifa because they failed to audit their books. As we speak Zifa does not even have the money to engage an auditor.
“However, I think we now need someone with a passion for the game of football. We no longer want to chose someone because of their financial clout but the passion for the development of the game football in the country. We want someone who can mastermind the rebranding of Zifa.
“I think we can find that in Prophet Walter Magaya. He is quite passionate about the game of football apart from the fact that he has cash. Besides him having money, the man is really passionate about sport.
“It is my humble opinion that people (stakeholders in football) should talk to him and persuade him to lead Zifa. He is a principled man who can instil a culture of accountability, professionalism and transparency in Zifa,” she said.
Gambe dismissed the notion that the man of God might not have adequate time to monitor or supervise the secretariat, just like Dube was guilt of.
“I do not think that the prophet has no time for football administration. Yes, he is quite a busy man given the large congregation that he is leading but I have always known him as someone who spares time for football issues.
“I have been to his offices and I have seen how committed he is to football. On a number of occasions he has left church proceedings to attend to Zifa problems and I do not see him failing to find time for football administration.
“I also think that he may also come in with people of integrity in teh secretariat. We have seen leaders at Zifa come in with people they trust and that has always been the case. Nyatanga came in with Henrietta Rushwaya and later Dube came in with Mashingaidze. So Magaya can also come in with people he deems fit to handle business at Zifa professionally,” said Gambe.
Asked whether a former national team player would do a better job as Zifa president, Gambe said: “I would have wanted a former national team player coming in a board member. Currently we already have one former national team player in the board and that is okay.
“The challenge that I see with a former national team player is that some of them have made names as players but they are not necessarily good leaders. Some have lost touch with things on the ground in Zimbabwe currently. For example, if we give this post to a person like Bruce Grobbelar, he has been away for quite some time and might not be aware of the changes that have happened over the years in the economy and everything. He might not also know where to source money to run the game because the traditional sources of money like corporates are also surviving from hand to mouth.”
Prophet Magaya has ofter bailed out Zifa in its moments of need. He even provided a last-minute rescue package for the Warriors, paying the players and technical staff the allowances and match fees they were demanding, ensuring that the senior national team fulfils the 2017 Nations Cup tie against Malawi in Blantyre.
The PHD Ministries leader, a football-mad prophet, also bankrolled the trip by the Warriors to the COSAFA Cup by unveiling more than $50 000 for the adventure.
Magaya, who has also bankrolled the Mighty Warriors on a number of occasions
Magaya, who has a stake in Division One side Gunners, has turned into domestic football’s Good Samaritan as he oftenly bailed out the Warriors and Mighty Warriors.
Last year, he revealed he was always pained that the Warriors were always absent at major football tournaments like the Nations Cup and World Cup finals.
Speaking during the launch of the Yadah TV Knock-out Cup, for the ZIFA Northern Region Division One League, Magaya said it was always his dream to one day see the Warriors taking on the best of the globe at the World Cup.
Online Reporter