adminFROM the day Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Tabitha Kanengoni-Malinga blasted the Cuthbert Dube-led Zifa board for doing the nation a disservice in terms of the administration of the most beautiful game of soccer in Zimbabwe, acres of space in newspapers have been and are still awash with people mainly expressing their disgruntlement over the manner the standards of soccer plummeted over the years.
Indeed, as a soccer loving person in the country, I have decided to add my voice and as I do so, I am very much alive to the fact that Dube has on many occasions bailed out our national teams financially, with the recent unpalatable event being the attachment of property at his, (Cuthbert Dube) house after ZIFA failed to settle an outstanding debt it owed Pandhari Lodge.
Dube had earlier on acted as a guarantor. I think on this one, Dube deserves a pat on the back for he sacrificed his own resources for the good of our image as Zimbabweans, but after having an analysis of the activities obtaining on the ground, I generally take Zifa atop be responsible for the nation’s deteriorating standards of football hence, I chose to rally behind Deputy Minister Malinga’s submissions in that:
Strategic planning
In his election manifesto last year, Dube promised to author a document of intent revealing the path that the national game should take and up to now, he hasn’t done anything, a clear indication that he is not serious about the development of soccer in Zimbabwe.
The man must be reminded that success is not accidental, it comes after sound strategic plans are initiated and as such the nation waits with abated breath for him to do so sooner than later.
Comparatively, I think ZIFA must take a leaf from South Africa’s Bafana Bafana who had become a “bunch of losers” in January 2014, but after SAFA launched what it termed “Vision 2022”, a technical master plan which envisages that all SAFA national teams should attain top three and 20 in Africa and world respectively, over the next 10 years.
It appears South Africa is gradually getting into the grove. This is an opportune time the Dub-led Zifa board should have a blue print on how to circumnavigate our way to the 2017 Nations Cup but synonymous with it (Zifa), nothing of that nature is happening.
All they are good at among their unpopular strategies is changing coaches like undergarments, the disbandment of the Warriors squads while not forgetting their favorite subject, Asiagate.
To add on to that, it became characteristic of Zifa in recent years to shift blame to the technical department and players whenever results are not achieved at the expense of them making an introspection of their own house.
Inspired by the need for the nation to make an achievement, it is my humble opinion that this is high time we should change the whole Zifa board and replace it with new and fresh football brains.
Junior policy
The senior national team can only perform better if we learn to put in place and support our under 15, 17, 20 and 23 teams by ensuring they competitively participate in international competitions, but this initiative appears to be dead and resultantly we cannot expect to put back smiles on the faces of soccer loving people in the country.
Along the same vein, the same board is not doing enough to harness talent Zimbabweans dotted in the length and breadth of the globe. It is high time Cuthbert Dube must smell the coffee.
Funding
While I totally concur that Zifa, like any other organisations, is facing viability challenges due to the prevailing economic challenges, I still believe that can never be a scapegoat to all the problems at Zifa house because it remains their baby to make plans on how the organization should survive.
In fact, they have to be seen doing something about it. It has to be understood that whatever Zifa should do must be in line with re-positioning the nation back on the world map and sadly, that is not happening at all.
Yes, we must be inspired by the fact that at one time and precisely, in April 1995 our own Warriors were ranked number 40 on world rankings.
Everything having been said and done, I now call upon our Zifa to go back to the drawing board and do something instead of folding their hands and watch from the sidelines as our dear Warriors continue to perennially “boycott” the Nation`s Cup while Cape Verde, the small West African island country with a population of about 500 000 people, has become a regular feature.
Where Deputy Minister Malinga’s thought and mine converge
As contained in the Sunday Mail edition (25 January 2015), Deputy Minister of Sport Arts and Culture said and I quoted, ”I am personally not happy with the way Zifa Is running football. We have spoken to them on a number of occasions, I even invited Mashingaidze to my office several times to register my displeasure but still there is no improvement,“ reads part of her statement.
Surely, if our Minister, after realizing all is not well at Zifa, goes on to engage Dube and his “followers” but no improvement is registered then why do we still have them in those offices?
Yes, the Government is not allowed to interfere with the goings on at Zifa but, I think let us get suspended from all the international games by dissolving the ZIFA board in its entirety — all in pursuit of long term achievements. I remain optimistic that taking a sabbatical will provide us with the much needed time to set up a new, fresh and serious Zifa board that will probably deliver.
Collin Mbato is a university student resident in Mutare and writes in his personal capacity.
Online Reporter