Online Reporter
Curtworth Masango-Zimpapers Sports Hub
IT is getting interesting by the day as domestic football canters towards ZIFA’s watershed elections to choose a new and substantive leadership for the association.
And two of the game’s most disciplined and dedicated servants, Sharif Mussa and Edward Mutukwa, are among those aspiring to transform ZIFA under a new dispensation that will be ushered into office on January 25.
As if to signify the number of players that feature in the world’s biggest sport, the next ZIFA executive committee will have 11 members headed by a new president.
And among those 11, there are six slots that will be up for grabs on the ordinary members’ list, with Mussa and Mutukwa having joined the fray in the race for seats on the executive.
Both men are not new to the domestic game, having virtually been its servants for much of their lives in the last two decades.
Mussa had been working behind the scenes before announcing his arrival on the big stage as the Warriors liaison officer on Zimbabwe’s maiden appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia in 2004.
Since then, he has been a familiar face in the trenches of the national game, with his latest post in ZIFA being the chairman of the First Instance Board, which has been tasked with certifying local venues for use by the Premier Soccer League clubs.
Mussa is also on the panel of the Confederation of African Football’s general coordinators.
“I have been involved in Zimbabwean football as an administrator in respect of team management and, above all, as a committed benefactor of the most beautiful game.
“My experience in football business acumen, social capital, and general strategic management skills will be handy to Zimbabwean football as I commit to continue serving Zimbabwean football with unquestionable distinction,’’ says Mussa.
He believes being in the executive committee will see him taking a front-end role in the envisaged transformation of ZIFA at the end of the span of the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee.
Mussa believes that ZIFA have in the past been pegged back by poor governance, something that he wants to join colleagues in eradicating.
“Good governance has been subverted by individuals and groups bent on using football as a conduit for self-aggrandizement, and we need our structures manned by people who respect good governance.
“Sectarian interests fuelled by selfish individuals and groups have also seen the football leadership expending their energy on pushing selfish agendas at the expense of the growth of Zimbabwean football.
“Factions have torn apart our football, and a united family is what we need for the growth of ZIFA and the national game,’’ added Mussa.
Mutukwa is also singing from the same hymn book with Mussa, as the Black Rhinos chairman is strict on issues of transparency and accountability.
He has been preaching five key pillars that include:
“Eradicating financial mismanagement and irregularities, aligning institutional procedures with regional and global standards, and integrating data analytics with existing systems for scouting, coaching, and sports science.
“There must be seamless data exchange amongst affiliates and stakeholders and to reinvigorate grassroots development structures and associated systems.
“Zimbabwean football deserves better,’’ Mutukwa said.
He added:
“As a seasoned administrator, I am committed to bringing transparency, accountability, and stability to ZIFA.
“Together, we can restore the glory of our beloved sport and create a brighter future for our players, coaches, and fans.”
Mutukwa has also played a pivotal role in the development of football through sponsoring junior football, including in his rural home in Chiweshe, where he also established a football academy to spearhead grassroots development.
“My presence will provide the much-needed discipline and stability within the executive, which is key in bringing stakeholders together and the much-needed sponsors and partners to further our football together. I also work with grassroots development in marginalised areas, which reflects my willingness to work with everyone, regardless of backgrounds, for the growth of our sport,’’ he said.
leeroy mupariri
