The ManicaPost
Ray Bande Senior Sports Reporter
SAKUBVA born outspoken football administrator cum politician Cecilia Gambe made a sensational return to the game that earned her fame when the Zifa congress last Saturday resolved to lift her suspension, giving her the greenlight to stand for any position in the impending association elections.
Gambe, who passionately apologised for having lost temper during an incident that resulted in her suspension in an interview with Post Sport this week, was a vital cog in the women football administration body that saw the historic Mighty Warriors Class of 2017 becoming the first ever Zimbabwean football team to qualify for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Gambe was suspended after a nasty incident at Sakubva Stadium when she invaded the pitch and hurled insults to referee Brighton Chimene during a Castle Lager Premiership encounter pitting Mutare City Rovers and How Mine in May last year.
A relieved Gambe, who reaffirmed her keen interest to continue serving the game, said she had actually made her apology way back before the Zifa president and councillors.
She said she has always been passionate about the game of football and that explains why she, together with colleagues in the Women Soccer League administration, spent much of her time and effort to ensure that the Mighty Warriors qualify for the Rio Olympics under very difficult circumstances.
“From the onset, we have to understand that football involves a lot of emotions. I am human and I am bound to get emotional given certain circumstances that we face in this life we live. However, that is no justification for losing one’s temper.
“I really want to apologise to all those who believe in my capabilities as a sound football administrator for what happened at Sakubva Stadium last year. I got so emotional and reacted angrily. That is why I mentioned that football involves a lot of emotions. However, I have long apologised for my actions before the Zifa president and councillors.
“The only thing that I am focusing on at the moment is to complete what we started as a team. We have incentives in form of residential stands that were promised after the Mighty Warriors qualified for Olympics but were never availed.
“We were promised to meet the President and the First Family not for a dinner but to receive some gifts of appreciation for the Rio Olympics qualification but that never happened. I feel for the girls who worked hard after getting those promises but never got anything.
“Over and above that, we also had benchmarks of things that we had set out to achieve after the Rio Olympics qualification. We wanted to qualify for more international tournaments and I feel we still can work hard to achieve that. These are the things that I feel I have to quickly get down and work on,” said Gambe.
The resolutions of the Zifa congress, released after Saturday’s annual general meeting, highlighted that the association lifted the suspension of former Highlanders chairman Peter Dube with immediate effect.
The congress also noted that Cecilia Gambe has served her suspension.
The congress ratified the 2016 Audited financial statements and adopted the 2018 budget.
It also approved the appointments of the electoral committee and an appeals committee whose names will be publicised in due course.
The congress voted unanimously to have the electoral code amended subject to FIFA approval and re-appointed Baker Tilly Gwatidzo as 2017 External auditors.
The congress adopted the amendment in the Zifa constitution of the size of the Premier Soccer League in the ZIFA council from 16 to 18 teams.
The congress noted and ratified the partnership deal which was agreed to between the Zifa president and La Liga.
At the same indaba, sponsorship for Division One and provincial leagues were also announced.
