The ManicaPost
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
IN the midst of a risky and ugly public spat, the country’s sports regulatory body, the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) and its key affiliate Zifa have been urged to find common ground in the interests of young athletes.
For a considerable number of weeks now, SRC and Zifa have been entangled in a nasty fall-out.
In a statement on Wednesday night, the SRC board said they believe they will get the backing of Fifa in their mission to try and reposition Zimbabwean football whose progress, they claim, is being held back by a cocktail of challenges, including questionable leadership.
This has left the country teetering on the brink of an international ban given Fifa’s regulations on the administration of the game.
Fifa always flexes its muscles when it believes that there is third-party interference in the governing of national football associations.
SRC has made it clear that it is prepared to risk the Fifa sanctions which could see all national teams being banned from international competitions, as well as the closure of financial taps in their bid to clean-up football.
But as the drama unfolds, a sober voice is calling for both parties to swallow their pride and prioritise the careers of young Zimbabweans who desperately need the exposure that come with participating on the international stage.
Veteran sports administrator — Russel Mhiribidi — the former Chapungu FC chairman who served SRC for a decade as regional head for the Central and Southern Regions called for an end to the public display of hatred and egoism.
He said both parties need to find each other through proper discussions.
“This really does not help our football at all. When we are banned, it is not those old men and women in Zifa or SRC that suffer, but the young generation desperate for a platform to showcase their talents on the international stage.
“These are the people we should all be concerned about. Both parties have valid points that need attention on a round table. However, I find it strange that Zifa is criticised for the deteriorating standards of the game when we all know that Covid-19 has not spared any organisation.
“We need to be realistic and avoid egoist attitudes. Let us listen to understand and not to respond,” he said.
Mhiribidi said football has a lot to learn from cricket.
“Soccer is not the first discipline to find itself in this predicament. Not so long ago, the game of cricket found itself in a similar situation. The SRC backed down and today sanity is prevailing in that game.
“We can’t have the SRC uttering reckless statements to the effect that they do not care if we are banned from international participation. Let us spare a thought for the players,” he said.
The cocktail of sanctions from Fifa — if allowed to come to pass — will include the suspension of the country’s national football teams from taking part in football tournaments around the world.
The latest fall-out between the SRC and Zifa has already claimed the scalp of Zifa chief executive, Joseph Mamutse, who was suspended by the regulatory body last week pending investigations into a number of issues.
SRC director-general, Prince Mupazviriho, was also suspended.
Last year, SRC board chairman Gerald Mlotshwa wrote to Fifa general secretary, Fatma Samoura, requesting for authority to invoke their powers to remove the entire Zifa leadership from office.
SRC wanted to replace the Zifa board with a normalisation committee to run domestic football for a certain period.
In their response, Fifa, through their deputy secretary-general (administration) Alasdair Bell, advised SRC that the conditions prevailing at Zifa then did not warrant a disbandment of the board.
