The ManicaPost
Fungayi Munyoro Sports Correspondent
FORMER Auckland Queens FC manager Jerrymike Gumbo has taken a swipe at the Zimbabwe Women Football saying they have failed to run the league effectively.
Gumbo said the national leadership had failed in its mandate to create a competitive league, among other administrative shortcomings.
In an interview with Post Sport last week, the Bindura based coach said women football no longer had office bearers who have a heart for the girl child.
“What we lack is leadership as we are being led by seemingly myopic sighted people. We no longer have office bearers who have a heart for the girl child, women football is now run by conmen around girl child pretending to love and care about them.
“Afcon qualifiers are just around the corner (April 2-3 2018) and most of the girls are not training to prepare for those games. We are always behind, Nigeria is busy with preparations for Afcon and they appointed Swedish gaffer as a way to boost their technical set up,” he said.
Gumbo said the executive that is running woman football must run it with transparency.
He said they needed to represent the women football clubs and respect and acknowledge efforts of girl children, clubs executive, supporters, potential partners, partners and coaches.
“If we remove threats, witch hunt, enmity and hatred in women football, we might have a chance to remove our football from oxygen life support,” he said.
Women’s football national league returned last year after a four year absence with what was supposed to be a united national league hand-picked from across the country and bankrolled by the football mother body, but divisions continue to emerge with the league ending pre-maturely.
An affiliate of the ZIFA, the women’s league does not have its own ratified constitution.
Representatives of the 22 clubs, which played in the league last year ended up boycotting matches as they wanted the Rosemary Kanonge led executive committee to addresses their concerns.
The league’s chair person Rosemary Kanonge said that only 16 teams will play this season.
“Only 16 teams, that is 14 teams from the 2017 League who will have met the given criteria and two promoted from the Northern and Southern Regional Leagues will take part this season in the league.
“After the deliberations on the above issue the ZWSL board resolved that the first 14 teams to pay their affiliation fees, arrears, players and technical registration fees in full by the given deadline (March 10, 2018) shall be considered for the 2018 ZWSL.
“All teams are encouraged to submit a full list of team members and passport size photos for the registration together with bank proof of payment and breakdown attached. We also hope to start our league on March 24,” she said.
The affiliation and registration fees for 2018 include affiliation fees of $500, players licencse fee of $10 per player and technical team fees of $50 per head.
