Tomorrow is a defining moment for Zimbabwean football as the soccer-crazy nation awaits with bated breath on who will win the biggest post in Zimbabwean football.
BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA
The elections, to choose a new Zifa leadership, will be held tomorrow at the Zifa Village in Mount Hampden, Harare.
The councillors will choose the man who will lead Zimbabwean football until 2018 following the ouster of the Cuthbert Dube-led board through a vote of no-confidence on October 3.
It is an important day for Zimbabwean football as the choice of Zifa president and six other board members will determine the future of the game that had taken several steps backwards under the previous administration.
Four candidates — property tycoon Phillip Chiyangwa, South Africa-based businessman Trevor Carelse Juul, former Premier Soccer League (PSL) secretary-general Leslie Gwindi and former Warriors defender James Takavada — are vying for the Zifa presidency. They have all promised the nation to revolutionise the game.
Chiyangwa promised to develop the Zifa brand through consistent management of the FA values, beliefs and product quality. He has also pledged in his manifesto to uphold and make transparent the decision-making processes.
He said he would give back power to the executive and ultimately to the Zifa council.
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![ZIFA asipiring President, Philip Chiyangwa addressing delegates at the launch of his manifesto on Saturday [Pic Shepherd Tozvireva]](https://newsday.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ZIFA-asipiring-President-Philip-Chiyangwa-adressing-delegates-at-the-launch-of-his-Manfesto-on-Saturday-Pic-Shepherd-Tozvireva.jpg)
The flamboyant businessman also said he would work to rebuild and restore corporate governance at Zifa so that it repositions itself as a credible institution.
He also wants to ensure Zimbabwe qualify for the 2017 African Cup of Nations to be held in Gabon as well as participate at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Juul also presented a manifesto this week, whose theme, Dreams To Reality, touches on development of football from the grassroots through coaching programmes linked to schools and tertiary institutions.
It is premised mainly on development of sustainable income streams, which can be achieved through the use of transparent football management models.
He has promised to bring back the fans to the stadiums like what happened during the days of the Dream Team in the 1990s.
Former Warriors defender James Takavada, also a winner of the 1984 Soccer Star of the Year, has made lots of promises with his manifesto titled Vision and Framework for the Future of Zimbabwe.
Takavada has identified key areas that he says he would look into if given the mandate to lead Zimbabwean football, which include good governance and junior soccer development.
Former Harare City chairman Leslie Gwindi has also said he would ensure that Zifa goes back and relook at its constitution, particularly the composition of the Electoral Commission.
Gwindi also believes investing in development is the core business of Zifa.
He has also said he would ensure the establishment of the authority of the Zifa assembly as well as the creation of standing committees made up of the councillors to aid the developmental drive.
Omega Sibanda and Lincoln Mutasa are running for the vice-presidency, while 10 other candidates are vying for the board member positions.
