A GROUP of supporters — the Friends of the Warriors — the only recognised supporters’ body in Zimbabwean football has hit back at critics calling for the government interference in the dissolution of the Cuthbert Dube-led board after the Zifa president flew to Brazil to watch the 2014 Fifa World Cup which ended on Sunday. SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
Chairperson of the Friends of the Warriors, Edward Chimedza, said yesterday Zimbabwean football needs government-backing and Dube’s trip to Brazil along with government officials, Sport, Arts and Culture minister Andrew Langa and parliamentarian Temba Mliswa was the kind of engagement they have been looking for.
“It’s a blessing in disguise to our football to have the Zifa president being accompanied to Brazil by Sport, Arts and Culture minister Andrew Langa and chairman of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education, Sports, Arts and Culture Temba Mliswa.
“This is the kind of engagement we have been looking for. Our football needs corporate and government backing and this is the start of a good relationship. Their consistent engagement with Fifa is also crucial for Zimbabwean football development.
“It is, therefore, absurd to hear some people calling for the dissolution of the Zifa board and sanctions that come with government interference in football matters. We strongly denounce such maneuvers because a true-loving football son will never call for sanctions on our football.
“The sanctions will not only affect national teams, but our local football teams as they will not be able to participate in all international football competitions. How then is that going to help our football?” asked Chimedza.
“It’s barbaric for someone to call for the dissolution of a constitutionally-elected body. This is not the time to fight personal wars, but for every soccer-loving Zimbabwean to come together and help in taking our game forward. We should stop this syndrome of finger pointing,” he added.
Chimedza said there were upcoming Cosafa assignments for Zimbabwe in Botswana and that failure to qualify to Morocco is not the end of Zimbabwean football, but the nation should instead pick up the pieces starting from the Cosafa tournament.
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Dube and his chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze, Premier Soccer League chairman Twine Phiri, Mliswa and Langa, were part of the delegation that flew to Brazil and watched the final of the 2014 Fifa World Cup match between Germany and Argentina in Rio de Janeiro.
That did not go down well with another group of supporters which called for the dissolution of the Zifa board arguing, the Zifa president does not watch local football matches and it was surprising he chose to fly and watch the World Cup final despite Zimbabwe having been booted out of the race for a ticket to the 2015 African Cup of Nations finals in Morocco by lowly ranked Tanzania.
This is despite that Dube and Mashingaidze’s trips were sponsored by Fifa.
The supporters urged the government to take a cue from Nigeria and dissolve the Zifa board arguing the national game was bleeding under Dube’s administration.
Fifa has suspended Nigeria from international football due to government interference after the country’s High Court ruling granted an injunction to suspend the country’s top soccer official, Aminu Maigari.
Maigari, was dismissed along with his executive committee and the Nigerian Football Federation congress following the Super Eagles second round exit from the World Cup after a defeat to France.
