Online Reporter
Langton Nyakwenda
Zimpapers Sports Hub
FORMER Warriors and CAPS United winger Alois Bunjira has urged ZIFA councillors to elect candidates they think are the best for Zimbabwean football.
Bunjira is aspiring to be an ordinary member of the ZIFA executive committee, which is expected to be elected on January 25.
The CAPS United legend sees the upcoming elections as “a perfect opportunity” for the country to “start afresh.”
Zimbabwean football has been under a FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee since July 2023, when the world governing body lifted a 17-month suspension on ZIFA.
The Normalisation Committee, which is headed by former Dynamos chairman Lincoln Mutasa, will step down after the election.
Bunjira is one of the over 30 candidates vying for the six board member positions.
A former Wits and Mamelodi Sundowns player, Bunjira says he is not getting into the race because he is an ex-player but because of what he believes he can bring into football.
The 49-year-old founded an academy called Albun when he retired.
He grew up in Zengeza, Chitungwiza, where he played junior football before he joined Wieslaw Grabowski’s Darry T.
Bunjira also played for the now-defunct Blackpool before he joined CAPS United.
After winning the Premier Soccer League championship with Makepekepe in 1996, the year he also won the Golden Boot, Bunjira crossed into South Africa, where he also played for Jomo Cosomos.
He was also part of the Warriors squad at their maiden Africa Cup of Nations finals in 2004.
“It has been a while since we last saw former footballers trying to get into ZIFA leadership positions.
“Being a former footballer is an advantage; it has given me a lot of knowledge, a lot of experience.
“I’ve lived it; I’ve played football from a very young age, and I know the process.
“I’ve gone through a lot of different administrations in different countries in Zimbabwe, South Africa, America, and Europe,” said Bunjira.
He wants to turn back the hands of time, if elected into office, and reintroduce a sound junior football development structure.
“The number one problem we have in Zimbabwean football at the moment is the lack of a proper structure.
“We have dismantled the whole football, and that needs to be restored.”
Bunjira actually thinks commercialisation of ZIFA should be done after restoration of proper structures.
“I’ve heard people talking about commercialisation and everything.
Yes. Indeed, football needs to be commercialized, but not before we restructure and put the structures back in place.
“We need to see kids playing football again. We need to see primary schools playing football again.
“We need to see juniors playing from area zones, districts, and provinces.
“We need to have a proper tertiary football league.
You know what? We have a lot of academics who are good at football. We have lost so much talent through education.
“Our culture is that we focus too much on school at the expense of sport,” said Bunjira.
He added, “In that vein, it is prudent for all Premier Soccer League and Division One teams to have junior teams.
“I played junior football for an area zone team called Hotspurs in Chitungwiza.
“The likes of Lloyd Mutasa and Ralph Kawondera won national junior tournaments with Division Four teams like Kunaka Trading Stores (KTS) in Chitungwiza.”
Bunjira faces tough competition against some big names in football administration, including Sweeney Mushonga, Edward Mutukwa, Gilbert Saika, Davison Muchena, Modern Ngwenya, Sharif Mussa, and Bernard Gwarada.
Businessman Brighton Ushendibaba, long-time women’s football benefactor Lewis Muzhara, and Kudzai Kadzombe and Bekimpilo Nyoni are also contesting the elections.
Other ex-footballers Walter Musanhu, Harlington Shereni, and Terrence Malunga are also in the race.
But, Bunjira feels he could have an urge.
“Because I’ve seen how things have been done and how things work, the successful nations, how they have been doing their things, I’ve been there. I’ve lived it.
“When I came back to Zimbabwe, I also got into football administration.
“I have seen what we do, how we do things, and the wrong things that we do.
“Things that need to be corrected.” Bunjira says he will not abandon football in the event that he loses the election.
“We have candidates who have strong CVs, but it is not enough if you do not know what to do when you get elected into office.
“We need people who are ready to get into the trenches.
“I eat, sleep, and dream football. We are for football, and when football smiles, we are all happy.
“We should allow the councillors to have their way and let them select those they think are the best for our football.
“Even if I lose, it doesn’t mean I will walk away from football, no. You can’t take me out of football. I love football,” said Bunjira.
