The Sunday News
Simba Jemwa, Leisure Correspondent
HIGHLANDERS Football Club will be holding elections for the vice-chairmanship and the treasurer’s posts on 6 February.
Sunday Life spoke to seasoned football administrator, Fiso Siziba who is running for the vice-chairmanship (VC).
Sunday Life (SN): What made you choose to get involved in football administration?
Fiso Siziba (FS): It had never crossed my mind, because I thought I had a career in coaching after winning the ZRP Commissioner General’s Shield three times with Midlands Province and Police General Headquarters between 2002 and 2004.
I also guided ZRP (Midlands) to second place to Matshiyakwakiwe in Midlands Division 2 league in 2003.
However, after attending a Football Administration course which was conducted by the then Zifa CEO Ndumiso Gumede, Larry Mortimar and Lazarus Mhurushomana at Zimbabwe Military Academy in Gweru, I developed a lot of interest in administration.
I had attended the course by default after the club secretary was not available, the ZRP Gweru Command then instructed me to attend since the payment had already been done for the course.
This course changed everything, as I was then voted by clubs in the Midlands Province to be the fixtures secretary in an executive that was chaired by the late Louis Gumbo, with Brian Chishanga as vice-chairman while Henry Makowa was the secretary-general.
I must say I learnt a lot from these gentlemen.
SN: What are your thoughts on improving the Highlanders Football Club in general?
FS: I cannot claim that I will improve Highlanders as an individual, it’s always about team work.
First of all, I need to fit in the system, as you know that the board and executive members recently attended a strategic planning seminar in Victoria Falls, it would then be prudent for me to align whatever I would wish to initiate to the provided roadmap according to the strategic plan.
However, I would encourage the rest of the executive members to review the junior development systems that are in place.
I would move a motion of expanding the recruitment base through the use of scouts in the various districts in the region and re-introduce the adoption of schools as feeder groups to the junior teams.
I plan to bring back the Highlanders Trophy which used to be competed for by schools as this would create brand awareness for easy recruitment of young players.
SN: As it stands most of the best players in Bulawayo move to other clubs at a very young age, how can Highlanders change this to continue improving and growing without stunting a talented youngster’s career?
FS: I would also encourage long term contracts for junior coaches as opposed to one-year contracts.
Remember junior players are loyal to their coaches much more than to a club, the precedent cases of the legendary Ali Dube when he left for Railstars and Dumaza Dube when he left for Bantu Rovers, several boys followed them.
So that attachment would be beneficiary to the club if the coaches stay longer and see the development of the youngsters right up to the first team.
Players that are produced within the system would be cheaper and more reliable.
I would also create good working relations with other Premier League clubs to facilitate loan stints for some of our players that would be off the development circle to afford them game time while the coaches monitor their progress in those other teams and return them to the fold for ready use.
SN: What new ideas have you brought to Zifa Southern Region since your arrival?
FS: I have proposed an age limit for Division One players so as to prevent a situation where old horses come back from the Premier League to fill up spaces meant for young and upcoming players.
This business of having Division One specialists should end. This however, is yet to be implemented though the motion is well advanced now.
As Board Member Competitions, I have also inculcated a culture of fair play and treating every team the same. I have made sure that fixtures are done transparently.
After a long layoff from football due to Covid-19, I also proposed a pre-season tournament to prepare teams for the actual league programme.
This gave the teams a general check and balance opportunity as well as adhering to the provided Covid-19 protocols.
SN: Are you a fan of any particular player at Highlanders?
FS: May I be allowed to reserve my comment on that one, as it might be misinterpreted by the players in the event I get elected. My apologies on that one.
SN: What role does the vice-chairman play in improving the quality within the club?
FS: The club has a philosophy and culture of playing entertaining football as opposed to the Route One type, (kicking forward and running and playing the second ball).
Therefore, as a vice-chairman and as all the leadership I suppose there is a need to ensure that such culture is preserved despite the turnover in the technical department.
To have quality in any team, there is a need for the recruitment to be biased towards the philosophy of the team as well as brand loyalty.
There is a need to have players that fight for the badge Highlanders and avoid recruiting mercenaries. If the finances permit, there is a need as well to ensure motivational perks are introduced. — @RealSimbaJemwa
