ZIFA presidential aspirant James Takavada is confident of winning the mandate to lead Zimbabwean football in the December 5 elections.
BY MUKUDZEI CHINGWERE
The former Soccer Star of the Year will square up against Philip Chiyangwa, Leslie Gwindi and probably Trevor Carelse Juul, whose candidature is yet to be cleared.
Takavada’s presidential bid has not received much hype like his opponents, but the former Warriors player is confident his message has reached the electorate.
He told NewsDaySport he is confident of causing a major upset and taking charge of the country’s hottest football job.
“Everything is set, the team is ready to challenge, my candidature was formalised and there is no going back,” he said.
“As a football person, I am always on the ground and I know what fans and the electorate want. They are after someone who can improve the game and I am exactly what the football fraternity has been yearning for. I have already started meeting the electorate and they are happy that I want to lead them. Those who vote know what I am capable of bringing to our football,” he added.
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If elected into office, Takavada said his administration would concentrate on football development, following the model that has been successfully implemented in Ghana.
“We want to follow a model like the one used by Ghana — investing in junior football. It is simple to implement. You do not need somebody’s money, you just need the football brains, Fifa has the money to do it. If we put our house in order, Fifa will come in and help us. The association is entitled to get grants from Fifa, but we have tarnished our image and we cannot get them,” he said.
Takavada believes local football can be successful if former players took a leading role in its administration.
“Look at the Ghana and Zambia situation. When former footballers got involved in football administration, they recorded remarkable success stories. Even the Germans, it is a model which was started by Franz Beckenbauer and they ended up winning the World Cup. South Africa, for example, their football is run by businesspeople and they always disapppoint at major tournaments, we do not want a situation like that for our football,” he said.
