Zifa hopes to clean up image

20 Apr, 2014 - 00:04 0 Views

The Sunday News

Xolisani Gwesela

Xolisani Gwesela

Ngqwele Dube Sports Correspondent
THE under-fire Zimbabwe Football Association is hoping to clean up its tainted image with the creation of the new corporate affairs and special projects portfolio headed by board member, Tavengwa Hara.
It is a new department that the football governing body would use to project a new image and attract sponsors to fund national teams and other activities.

Zifa has over the years been plagued by a bad image emanating from maladministration and recently the Asiagate match-fixing scandal took its toll on the organisation.

Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela confirmed that the brief of the new portfolio would be to create a new image and build bridges with partners in football.

The football mother-body is wallowing in a $5 million debt that accrued over the past five years due to lack of adequate funding. Last year, Zifa had come up with an ambitious plan to commemorate its golden jubilee that included bringing an international football team to Zimbabwe, holding of lectures and playing a commemorative match featuring yesteryear legends but the plans are still on the drawing board as the organisation has failed to come up with the requisite funding.

The once popular Zifa Cup has also been mooted for a return over the past two years but nothing has materialised because of lack of sponsorship. Zifa has found it hard to court corporate partners because of its battered image.

Hara admitted it was a big challenge.
“I know there is a lot of work to be done but I am sure if we work together as a united football family we are going to overcome these challenges. We need to build confidence in potential sponsors and the public if we are going to succeed in taking our football forward,” said the Chicken Inn secretary.

Gwesela said some of the duties of the corporate affairs head would include overseeing committees such as the Zimbabwe Football Trust and Golden Jubilee.

“He will also work closely with my (communications) department and the marketing section as we seek to rebrand the association and come up with an image that will win over stakeholders in the sport and also entice companies to partner us in our various projects,” he said.

Hara was appointed to the portfolio during last weekend’s board meeting that saw Bernard Gwarada assigned to the finance portfolio, John Phiri in charge of development with Fungai Chihuri heading the competitions department.

“Appointments were also made to the standing committees with vice-president Omega Sibanda tasked with heading the referees standing committee, Gwarada is in charge of finance, Hara would be heading the player status committee, Chihuri is in competitions and football medicine, Twine Phiri heads the Futsal and Beach Soccer committee with Zimbabwe Women Football boss Miriam Sibanda in charge of women football.

“The head of the internal audit committee will be announced once we have made him aware of the elevation,” said Gwesela after the board meeting.

He said Zifa will hold a strategic meeting next month from which they hope to get a powerful strategic planning document they will use to run football for the next four years.

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