WARRIORS coach Ian Gorowa finally submitted the two reports to Zifa on Friday ahead of last night’s high performance technical committee (HPTC) meeting to review the senior national team’s performances after the failed 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers.
WELLINGTON TONI SPORTS EDITOR
Zimbabwe lost 0-1 in the first leg first round qualifier against Tanzania before drawing 2-2 at home to bow out 2-3 on aggregate.
Gorowa had not sent the report through and instead hit back at some of the members of the committee saying he reported to the Zifa hierarchy and not the committee, but the HPTC was clearly not impressed with the delay which they viewed as insubordination.
Zifa president Cuthbert Dube, who left for Brazil for the World Cup yesterday, confirmed to sister paper NewsDay Sport on Saturday that Gorowa had submitted the report through chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze.
“The report came through last night (Saturday night), but it’s only for the two matches against Tanzania and nothing for the friendlies before we went for Chan and even the Chan (African Nations Championships) finals and other friendlies we played,” he said.
The HTPC is chaired by Warriors legend John Phiri, who is also a board member of the national association. Some of the members of the association include former Warriors coach Gibson Homela, who is the deputy chair, Charles Sibanda, Benedict Moyo and technical director Takaendesa Jongwe.
The committee is expected to make recommendations on all national teams – Under-17, U-20, U-23, women and the senior national teams going forward as the association seeks to turn its focus to youth development programmes ahead of the Cosafa Castle Cup and the Region V Games that will be held in Bulawayo on December.
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Speaking before his trip to Brazil where he will have the opportunity to watch the semi-finals and the final before returning on July 14, Dube said he was not going on holiday, but was trying to find ways to resuscitate the local game and liquidate the $5 million debt.
Mashingaidze will be leaving today for Brazil.
“Fifa has been very supportive to us, but remember they have 209 associations to deal with and if they are seen to be giving us money outside their normal assistance programmes, it would open the floodgates to other countries which are also in similar problems like us,” Dube said.
“So we want to have some adhoc meetings with various associations and have bilateral ties with other associations and registered match agents that could be of benefit to us and the projected thrust on youth development. I will report back to the board on July 26 when we meet for the strategic review.
“We plan on having separate meetings with Fifa president Sepp Blatter and secretary-general Jerome Valcke to present our issues. Fifa has already indicated they will send a consultant to work with us in finances, marketing and communications and we are excited by this development.”
Dube won a second term in office on March 29 and is deputised by Omega Sibanda. Other members of the board are Phiri, Fungai Chihuri, Bernard Gwarada, Tawengwa Hara, Premier Soccer League chair Twine Phiri and Women’s Football boss Mirriam Sibanda.
The cash strapped association does not receive any government funding, although the new Sport minister Andrew Langa has been supportive of Zifa’s efforts, having sourced funds for the Warriors’ participation in the Chan finals.
During the second leg of the Afcon qualifiers against Tanzania at home, Dube had to put up his Mandara home as security after a local lodge had refused to accommodate the Taifa Stars. The lodge is owed $200 000.
The debt has not been paid and Dube risks having his house auctioned to settle it. Zifa is awaiting a $500 000 World Cup bonus to settle the debt.
The association is set to benefit from the next phase of the Goal Project in September as the application has already been forwarded to the world football governing body.
Fifa has funded the purchase of the $500 000 Alex Park, Harare, new headquarters, whose agreements with the seller, have also been sent to Zurich. Building a new structure would have taken time and Zifa would have lost out on the next phase of Goal Project.
