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Top Fifa post for Dube

Sport
World Football governing body Fifa yesterday appointed the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) president Cuthbert Dube as one of the members of the Organising Committee for the 2014 Fifa Confederations Cup. He becomes the first Zimbabwean to be appointed to the high post at Fifa. Dube will sit on the committee that will be monitoring the […]

World Football governing body Fifa yesterday appointed the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) president Cuthbert Dube as one of the members of the Organising Committee for the 2014 Fifa Confederations Cup.

He becomes the first Zimbabwean to be appointed to the high post at Fifa.

Dube will sit on the committee that will be monitoring the progress being made by World Cup hosting nation Brazil.

The Confederations Cup is used as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup. It is held a year prior to the World Cup.

Fifa secretary-general Jerome Valcke yesterday wrote to Dube yesterday informing him of the appointment.

“Following the announcement by the Fifa president at the 61st Fifa Congress in Zurich on 31 May and 1 June 2011, the composition of the Fifa standing committees has been revised and completely restructured.

In this connection, we are very pleased to inform you that you have been appointed as a member of our Organising Committee for the Fifa Confederations Cup.

Please accept our sincere congratulations on this nomination. We will inform you about the date of the next meeting in due course. We wish you success and enjoyment in this new role at Fifa and look forward to welcoming you soon.”

Dube was naturally elated at his new appointment. “The Confederations Cup is the second biggest tournament on the Fifa calendar after the Fifa World Cup so I’m obviously very excited to be appointed as one of the committee members.

Actually, it’s an honour for the country because this is the first time such a thing has happened in Zimbabwe. I will go there to represent Zimbabwe, the southern Africa and Africa as a whole.

I will present my views to the committee as I have been doing to Fifa, but behind the scenes.

I mentioned it during the election for the Fifa presidency last year that southern Africa needs some kind of representation at Fifa and through our contributions, they have seen our potential.

My appointment shows Fifa has confidence in me and Zifa as the association,” said Dube.

Meanwhile Dube revealed Fifa development officer Ashford Mamelodi will visit the country next week to commission the second phase of the Goal Project at the Zifa Village.

Dube said he expects Mamelodi to unveil sponsorship for the third and final phase of the Goal Project at the Village during the tour. “Fifa has done pretty well so far in terms of supporting our policies.

That is why you have seen them visiting us almost every month. Next week, we will welcome Mamelodi who will be coming here to assess the progress at the Zifa Village.

We have said we will not handle any funds for that project so the money from Fifa is going straight to the contractors. The process has been transparent, that is why it is moving very fast,” said Dube.