The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda in Harare
FIFA president Giovanni Infantino and the world football general secretary Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura land in the country today to attend the birthday party for Zifa president Philip Chiyangwa as well celebrations for the maverick businessman’s ascendancy to the Cosafa leadership.
Addressing the media yesterday at the Zifa offices on Wednesday the association’s vice president Omega Sibanda said they have combined Infantino’s visit to the country with Chiyangwa’s birthday as well as his winning of the Cosafa presidency. An organising committee led by Chamu Chiwanza has been working to make sure that the celebrations to be staged tonight at the Harare International Conference Centre are a success.
“What we done as Zifa is we have combined the visit of Infantino and the birthday party and the ascendancy of the Zifa president to be Cosafa president and we have come up with a committee headed by Chamu Chiwanza,’’ said Sibanda.
Chiwanza said what makes the Fifa president’s visit to Zimbabwe is that he is also coming with Samoura who is the second most powerful person in world football.
“What is more historic about this visit is that it’s not just the president of Fifa who is coming, I am also pleased to announce to you that the second most powerful person in world football who is the secretary general of Fifa Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura, there is a small but quite powerful delegation from Fifa. The main purpose of their visit is to attend the birthday party and be part of the celebrations of Dr Chiyangwa winning of the Cosafa presidency and his birthday party together. There is a series of events we have lined up for the Fifa president as he will be in the country for a very limited time chief amongst those is football development and rehabilitation, things that Zifa will be taking care of with their Fifa president,’’ said Chiwanza.
Besides Infantino and Samoura, there are 24 African football leaders who will attend Chiyangwa’s party. Chiwanza said six were expected to land in the country last night. Even Mamelodi Sundowns president Patrice Motsepe is expected in the country for Chiyangwa’s celebration.
“We are also expecting some high profile delegates coming from 54 countries and from those 54 countries we have invited, 24 heads of football federations have confirmed, I am told six have are actually arriving today(yesterday). This is not a formal Fifa meeting, either is it a Caf meeting or Cosafa meeting, either is it a Zifa meeting, this is celebrations and they are invited because of their friendship with the Cosafa president .There is also business people, we are expecting the Motsepes for an in and out visit,’’ Chiwanza said.
Despite today’s gathering being viewed as a way of drumming up support for Ahmad Ahmad of Madagascar who is challenging long serving Caf president Issa Hayatou for the African football leadership, Chiwanza insisted that this was just a celebration of Chiyangwa’s birthday and winning the Cosafa presidency. Ahmad, endorsed by Cosafa to go up against Hatayou at next month’s Caf elections is attending today’s party.
On why Hayatou was not invited, Chiwanza said that they asked Chiyangwa to come up with the guest list using his own discretion. He said since it was his party Chiyangwa is allowed to invite people who he wants to celebrate with if he has any friendship with them.
On the possible benefits Zimbabwe stand to derive from Infantino’s trip to the country Sibanda said they will be taking the Fifa boss to see some of their development projects like the Zifa Village and the association’s headquarters which they are going to construct.
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