adminZifa has over the years faced financial challenges that has seen most of its projects, especially national teams, struggling to prepare for games or even sending highly depleted sides like what happened in the last Nations Cup qualifier against Burundi in which the Warriors under caretaker coach Rahman Gumbo lost 2-1.
The coming in of the sponsors could be a seal of approval of the way the Cuthbert Dube-led Zifa board is running soccer affairs.
A source close to the goings on revealed that the deal could even be availed during the next board meeting towards the end of this month.
“It looks like things are beginning to shape up at Zifa. I understand some mining company wants to come in and fund the association’s activities,” said the source.
Two diamond mining companies, Mbada Diamonds and Marange Resources, have already poured in millions of dollars into local football, the latter sponsoring a 16-team tournament to the tune of $1 million while the former recently unveiled a $3 million package for women football.
Contacted for comment, Zifa communications manager Nicky Dlamini-Moyo confirmed that the association was in serious talks with the corporate world. She said she was confident that a deal will be sealed soon.
“While at the moment it could be too early to reveal the identities of the companies we are talking to, I can confirm that yes, we are involved in talks with some companies and it looks promising,” said Dlamini- Moyo.
The Zifa communications manager said she was also quite confident that a deal could be sealed well before the Warriors’ next match against Burundi in the second leg of the
2013 African Nations Cup qualifier.
“The corporate world is beginning to realise the power of football as a marketing brand and they are now coming forward to be part of this growing brand. My hope is that the sponsorship package deal will be sealed before the next Warriors match,” said Dlamini-Moyo.
Soccer is one of the biggest industries globally but in Zimbabwe it was failing to attract corporate sponsorship mainly due to mal-administration at Zifa. Zifa is at the moment battling to deal with Asiagate that has seen the mother body suspending a number of players from participating in national team activities.
A quick move by the present board to set up an investigating committee that has led to suspensions of both players and officials did a lot of damage control. The corporate world and members of the public seem to have been convinced that the administration does not tolerate corruption in soccer.
Last week Zifa vice president Ndumiso Gumede, who is also the acting president of the Zimbabwe Referees Committee, told this publication that his committee was in talks with a potential sponsor to pay referees’ fees.
“We are in talks but there are some few issues that need to be ironed out first like the issue of travel allowance, which is not uniform,” said Gumede.
Online Reporter