Chiyangwa, Twine Phiri unite in grief

By Austin Karonga

HARARE – Zifa president Philip Chiyangwa and deposed Premier Soccer League (PSL) chairman Twine Phiri were on Monday united in grief as both visited the late Eric Rosen’s Glen Lorne residence in the capital to pay their condolences.

The late Motor Action Football Club director Rosen succumbed to a heart attack on Sunday and is set to be laid to rest at Greendale Cemetery on Friday.

He was 69.

Following their well-documented tiff in which the new Zifa board led by Chiyangwa made a resolution to have the PSL board elections, leaving Phiri who was supposed to see off his tenure in 2018 stranded, the atmosphere was different with everything appearing normal.

Chiyangwa had accompanied Sports and Recreation minister Makhosini Hlongwane to pay his condolences to Rosen’s wife Liz, family, relatives and friends.

Meanwhile, the burial of the late football administrator has been rescheduled for Friday at Greendale Cemetery in order to accommodate relatives travelling from outside the country.

Bianca Berman, Rosen’s younger sister said they were anticipating the arrival of the deceased’s mother from Zambia.

“The burial is on Friday at Greendale Cemetery but we will start off with a funeral service at Nazareth House at 10am in the morning, thereafter we shall proceed to the cemetery for burial and after burial we will all proceed to Motor Action Sports Club for the wake,” Berman told the Daily News.

The late football administrator rose to firm upon the purchase of former Premiership side Blackpool which he renamed Motor Action.

The “Mighty Bulls” dazzled the Premiership for a lengthy period of 14 years before being relegated to Division 1 football in 2013 and Rosen subsequently sold the franchise the following year.

They were crowned the 2010 Premiership champions, won the 2011 BancABC Sup8r Cup, having started off their campaign with a 2005 Independence Trophy triumph.

Sports and Recreation Commission director-general, Charles Nhemachena said football was poorer without him.

“Eric shall be remembered as a great football investor and an advocate for sport development. His contributions to sport will forever be cherished.

“Football is poorer without Eric who was not only an owner of a football club but also an astute sports administrator who also served in the PSL Board of Governors. Eric served football well, his wise counsel shall be missed,” said Nhemachena.

Chicken Inn coach Joey Antipas, who won the league title with Motor Action in 2010, said Rosen was a father to many.

“Eric was a father to the boys, always willing and ready to assist his players when problems arose.

“He was a man who always wanted things to be above aboard, he fought for the PSL board of governors and up to today, the PSL is a league of tranquillity,” said Antipas. Daily News