The ManicaPost
Ray Bande Senior Reporter
AMID the uncertainty being caused by Covid-19, former Caps United wideman, Alois Bunjira has declared his ambition to become the next Zifa president.
However, football fans have been quick to remind him of the yawning gap between being a brilliant player and an astute administrator.
Bunjira, who traces his roots to Honde Valley, might have been a darling of the crowds due to his eye for goal and his trademark of crisscrossing the field of play, but the same clearly cannot be said about his bid to become football’s boardroom leader.
Those who look down upon the dreadlocked former national team player’s administrative qualities have seized the opportunity to remind him of the difference between football admiration and running a social media blog.
Years after his retirement, Bunjira has been highly active in both social and mainstream media, analysing and commenting on football matters. Interestingly, Bunjira’s bid to become the next Zifa president comes hard on the heels of Ivorian legend, Didier Drogba’s ill-fated attempt to do the same in his home country — Ivory Coast.
In terms of social responsibility to his country as well as talent, the Ivorian former Chelsea striker has been doing so well.
“I think Alois Bunjira should understand the difference between being a football player, a coach and an administrator. These are three things that require different qualities, even though the common denominator is football. He does not come across as someone who can run a successful football association,” wrote one football fan on the highly subscribed Mutare Sports Updates WhatsApp group.
Another one chipped in: “The problem we have with former footballers is that they think they have this automatic entry ticket into football management simply because of the administrative mistakes they saw during their days as players. It does not work like that. There is more involved in football administration at national level, not just the experience of having played the game. Sound corporate identity matters, of which Bunjira has none of that.”
Paul Sigauke wrote on Facebook: “Among the crop of former players, we have people like Desmond ‘Gaza’ Maringwa, who have run successful projects like the Football Union of Zimbabwe. They are better than Bunjira. Apart from being an armchair critic, he has done virtually nothing to convince football lovers that he deserves to be elected Zifa president.”
However, a few, mainly fellow former players, believe that Bunjira could have a positive impact if elected Zifa president.
Mutare born and four-time Premiership title medal winner, Blessing “Jah B’ Gumiso, whose playing career reached its climax at Highlanders, said, “Alois Bunjira deserves a chance to lead Zifa. I am happy he has declared his interest, he should be given a chance. After all, what have the former leaders done that Bunjira cannot do? Let us judge him after giving him a chance.”
Will Bunjira go all the way to contest and possibly win the Zifa presidency? Only time can tell.
But for now, the former Caps United player will have to move mountains to prove his case in the court of public opinion.
