TODAY is a big day for Zimbabwean football. Zifa will announce eligible candidates to contest in elections slated for next month.
Tens of candidates have submitted their resumes for nomination which were vetted by the Ethics and Integrity Committee to ensure candidates tick all the requirement boxes.
Zifa got an overwhelming response in a clear sign that there are men and women who stand ready to take local football to dizzy heights.
The ball is now in the Ethics and Integrity Committee’s court to release the list of credible candidates that will contest in the January 25 elections.
All eyes will be on the candidates for the Zifa presidency and vice-presidency where a new requirement, at least 5 Ordinary Level passes, was inserted, although critics say a degree should have been the minimum requirement.
There have been calls in some quarters to waive that requirement. However, doing so will set a bad precedent.
Rosemary Mugadza, Zifa normalisation committee member and former Mighty Warriors coach, in October told former footballers to go to school if they want to lead Zifa.
“I was given a chance by my parents to go to school and they made sure that I have the five O Levels. I am a Caf instructor, where a certain level of education is required for you to participate in terms of imparting knowledge to the fellow females,” Mugadza said.
- FIFA slaps five year-ban on Ex-Zifa referees' boss
- Abused female refs take on Zhoya's accomplices
- Veteran football administrator Chishanga dies
- Mhurushomana cleans Zifa accounts
Keep Reading
Rules should be adhered to.
The Ethics and Integrity Committee must exercise its role without fear or favour, guided by what the Zifa constitution and its terms of reference say.
It must also disclose why candidates have been disqualified to obviate any allegations of favouritism and also in the spirit of transparency.
The disclosure will disarm those candidates that may want to take the legal route which derail the election process.
After some years in the wilderness, local football needs a fresh start.
Governance has been the Achilles heel of Zifa since time immemorial as fly by night leaders took turns to lead football, one of the most supported local sports.
History has shown that where governance is weak, results are elusive. National sports associations that are thriving are doing so on the back of strong governance systems.
A strong governance framework acts as a magnet, attracting reputable sponsors.
The Sables would not have conquered Africa without a strong governance system that lured respectable sponsors.
A weak Zifa would have struggled to take The Warriors to the 2025 Afcon finals in Morocco next year after playing their home matches in Uganda and South Africa.
Zifa needs reputable leaders that can open the doors for corporates to come in.
The country’s number one sport is yearning for real leaders that can take Zimbabwe to the World Cup and to the knockout stages of Afcon.
Those with excess baggage will result in a contagion that spread to the national football governing body.
It is a tough but necessary choice the Ethics and Integrity committee must make to take Zimbabwe football to another level. History will judge it harshly if it panders to political machinations. Zimbabwe needs to break with the past.
