Sinokubonga Nkala
Lovemore Dube
THE Road to Zifa has gathered momentum with a number of former players, referees, administrators throwing their names into the race.
Over 50 people are vying for positions which will see a new board taking over on 25 January next year.
On Wednesday night Benjani Mwaruwari and Makwinji Soma-Phiri confirmed that they had filed in their papers for the Zifa presidency.
Soma-Phiri is also in the list for the board members’.
Wednesday was the deadline for submissions and those that go through the vetting process will be known by 23 December with a final list of contestants published on January 15.
“I am in the race. My papers are in. I am in the race,” said Mwaruwari from the UK last night.
Mwaruwari is a former Warriors captain whose glittering career took him to Grasshoppers in Switzerland, Auxerre in France and English League’s Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City and Portsmouth.
He is a former Warriors captain.
Soma-Phiri had a stellar career with the country’s biggest clubs Dynamos and Highlanders with whom he picked over a dozen pieces of silverware which includes league championships, Zifa Cup, Heroes and Independence.
He was also capped for his country.
Soma-Phiri said as a former player and someone who had invested the last 40 years into the game of football, he was now ripe to take a shot at the big one. Like many Zimbabweans he said he could not sit back and watch while things were going wrong for the game.
“Yes, to effect meaningful change you have to enter races such as this one and be part of the decision making processes. Put the game of football first and the nation, be selfless for no meaningful personal glory but collective celebration of successes,” said Soma-Phiri.
He confirmed that he had also filed his papers for the vice-president and board member posts. He said he was advised at Milton Park that he could sign up for all available posts.
“I am running for the post of Zifa president, I filed my papers, I am keen to serve Zimbabwe football. I have also been nominated for the board member’s position,” said the Harare-based property maintenance manager last night.
Two other former great players, who won the Soccer Star of the Year award, James Takavada and Alois Bunjira have thrown their names into the race for vice-presidency and board member respectively.
Harrington Shereni, a former Dynamos and Warriors leftback, who played in Switzerland also filed in his nomination for the board member role.
With former players, club owners, former provincial and regional administrators and referees coming into the fray, it looks like it will be an exciting poll expected to usher a new era for a game that has not known any peace since Leo Mugabe’s departure in 2003.
