Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
GILBERT Saika feels he has garnered enough experience to turn around ZIFA’s financial landscape as he bids to find his way into the new executive.
The ZIFA Central Region chairperson is running for a board member post in the much-anticipated January 25 ZIFA elections.
Having been involved in administrative and managerial posts in the football panorama over the years including leading Mwana Africa in their dream continental adventure in 2003, Saika believes he has what it takes to get one of the six available executive post slots in the elections.
Exactly 36 people are vying for those positions and it will be interesting to see who prevails.
But Saika is confident with what he has done for football and continues to do for the game, he merits his chance.
“My vision is to challenge the status quo. I think I have been in football for a long time now. I started in the Northern Region Soccer League and spent seven years in the executive which achieved a lot. I was also the chairperson for one of the most prolific Premiership teams to grace the stage, Mwana Africa. I have also been the chairman of NRSL side Trojan Stars and currently I am the Central Region chairperson.
“I have acquired just enough experience and knowledge in the game to go and serve in the ZIFA executive,” said Saika.
“I am a chartered accountant by profession, and I have worked for several corporates where I have garnered a lot of experience and built connections. Financial reporting, auditing and treasury and obviously I would be handy in bringing stability in terms of accounting into the ZIFA board.
“That will ensure that we attract corporate sponsorship because transparency will guarantee that.”
He said that he is willing to support the vision of whoever comes along as the ZIFA president from the six candidates contesting for the position and everyone else who will be picked to be in the executive.
“Even FIFA will be in a position to support us more if we do our things in a proper manner. So I need to bring out my wealth of knowledge in terms of financial reporting and discipline from the corporate world into the public sector which is ZIFA in this regard.
“I am coming from an ethical background which doesn’t support any meandering. My organisation is very strict and they will obviously be monitoring me,” added Saika.
Already Saika has been endorsed by the regions, area zones plus Naph and Nash.
