Mbwando backs out of Zifa presidency

By Petros Kausiyo and Augustine Hwata

GEORGE MBWANDO has ruled himself out of the race for the Zifa presidency as the bid to lead the country’s biggest sport totters towards a repeat of the 2010 contest between Cuthbert Dube and Leslie Gwindi.

There had been indications that the former Warriors international could throw his name into the hat for the right to lead Zifa when elections to choose to choose a new board are held on March 29.

Campaigning trails have already begun across the country with prospective presidential candidates also keenly following the outcomes of the elections in the Zifa affiliates.

Despite being touted to take a crack at the polls, Mbwando yesterday expressed reservations with the domestic football environment which he said “still needs some drastic changes to accommodate the input of former players and other technocrats who can contribute meaningfully to development.

Mbwando confirmed that he had seriously been considering running for the Zifa presidency and has over the last few months been consulting widely with some of the game’s stakeholders.

The former Blackpool man who has spent the last 16 years in Germany revealed that he had held several meetings with a number of former players like Dynamos legend Memory Mucherahowa the ex-CAPS United trio of Innocent Mugabe, Alois Bunjira and Mpumelelo Dzowa.

Mbwando said although he had been encouraged by the kind of support he had received from home and abroad over the move, he had carefully studied the national football landscape and noted that it was “still too polarised and skewed’’ to embrace such people like him.

The 37-year-old retired footballer who started his career as a striker but later became a defender when he turned professional, however, said he would continue to pursue his dream of administering the game and “bringing in fresh ideas that can change our football for the better’’.

“I seriously wanted to contest but I fear that with the politics and the polarisation in our football this might not be the best time to do it.

“My plan is to come in and make a revolution starting with our junior policy and securing sponsorship technical and commercial partners. There are huge possibilities to partner such organisations like the German Football Federation but the environment has to be conducive.

“We have a lot of ideas and contacts that are willing to help our football, people just want to see something different in the way football in Zimbabwe is run at all levels.

“All those who will be elected into office should know that it is all about transparency, sponsorship drives and junior development . . . the nation wants to know of the progress or lack of it that is being made,’’ Mbwando said.

“It hurts to know that up to this day the same problems we faced when we were Under-17 players are still haunting the current Young Warriors,’’ Mbwando said.

Mbwando also decried the squabbles that normally characterise Zimbabwean football.

“I don’t think it is right for us to be wasting time and energy fighting over petty issues instead of developing the game. Most of those in the corporate world with a potential to chip in with funds just want serious people with a professional touch and this must be at all levels of football administration’’.

Despite opting out of the race for the Zifa elections, at least for now, Mbwando who is a holder of a coaching badge and a degree in economics, said he would not abandon his mission to return home and pursue an ambitious programme to help change the way the game is administered.

“We still need to have that great indaba where we will have the input of just about everyone who has been involved or is still involved in our football. We also need to come up with resolutions that will change the mindset and the structures of administration for our football so that it can easily bring together current and ex players, coaches, current and former administrators, ex- referees, sports medicine experts, football writers, sponsors and those in the education sector.

“We need to have a Zifa assembly that is made up of people who make meaningful contribution to the development the game, which is accountable and which should work to meet certain targets. Our football leadership must be national in outlook and represent one particular region or put polices that benefit just one area of the country,’’ Mbwando said.

As Mbwando spoke of fresh ideas to breathe life into the ailing domestic game, one of its long-serving administrators Musa Mandaza bounced back at the helm of the Southern region.

Just like a yo-yo, Mandaza keeps bouncing back into mainstream football administration. Yesterday Mandaza defeated Mandla Moyo to return to the post he last held between 2006 and 2010.

The bulky football administrator had lost the post to Gift Banda when the elections were held in 2010 but yesterday he shrugged off the challenge from Sparrows director Moyo.

During his previous term as Southern Region chairman and on the Zifa board, Mandaza was influential in the setting up of the Central Region, after citing that teams in the lower leagues were incurring huge expenses in travelling when they had little sponsorship packages.

Mandaza posted 14 votes while his rival Moyo had eight and the former Zimbabwe Saints administrator was naturally happy to be back.

“I still have some unfinished business in football. In 2006, I fought hard to set up the Central Region and now we have four regions. My aim will be to try and improve the sponsorship that is coming to football.

“If we look at past four years, nothing much was happening in terms of sponsorship that had been coming to football in the region,” said Mandaza.

Mandaza believes the boardroom squabbles that rocked the Southern Region and the Central Region could have scared away potential investors.

Banda failed to last his tenure after he was suspended by his fellow Zifa board members over allegations of match fixing that also tainted the Central Region.

“It was just fight after fight and I think that has to stop now. My aim is to leave a legacy in football. Since we created the Central Region, we have seen football spreading to all parts of the country and now people in Kariba and Chiredzi have Premiership teams,” said Mandaza.

Mandaza said he would also try to arrange courses for football administrators so that they improve on their efficiency in running the game.

“There is need to embark on courses for administrators so that they run the game well. So there is a lot of work to be done and we should also stop this culture of fighting and dividing people across tribal or religious lines. Football must be enjoyed by everybody and I am happy that this election was free and transparent,” said Mandaza.

Mandaza first came into football administration in 1979 when he joined Lions Football Club and in 1982, he was a provincial committee member for Matabeleland North before assuming the chairmanship.

Later he moved up as the secretary for the Southern Region and later became the regional boss. While Mandaza was celebrating his entry into the Zifa board, Piraishe Mabhena was also elected to lead the Eastern Region as he takes over from Fungai Chihuri who did not seek re-election.

Mabhena beat Stanley Mago by just a single vote as he posted 12 votes in a closely contested election in Masvingo yesterday.

Cyril Mukweva comes in as the vice chairman after winning unopposed while Wisdom Simba, Davison Muchena, Farai Rutsvara and Mushangwe complete the board. The Northern Region has former CAPS United manager Willard Manyengavana as chairman with Martin Kweza as the vice-chairman while the board members are Stan Nyachowe, Sweeney Mushonga, Robert Mamvura and John Remba.

Felton Kamambo was elected the Central Region chairman unopposed with Patrick Hill who had been acting in that capacity reverting to being the deputy. Thomas Marambanyika, Charlton Moyo, James Marima, and Stanley Chapeta complete the Central Region leadership. The Herald