Zifa has oiled the national football team’s preparations for the January Chan finals in Rwanda by settling its debts with the players and technical team.
By Kevin Mapasure
The team’s head coach Kalisto Pasuwa, who is currently negotiating a long-term contract with the association, received full payment of the $11 000 that he was owed.
The players in camp were also paid what was outstanding to them as well as camping allowances as they make final preparations.
Zifa president Phillip Chiyangwa on Monday promised the players and coaches that the association would settle their arrears and that going forward the administration will pay them on time.
The football mother body clinched a $1 million sponsorship deal with Harare-based businessman Wicknell Chivayo, who has since started servicing Zifa’s
$180 000 debt to Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet.
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In the past, preparations have been hampered by lack of funding where at times players boycotted training owing to non-payment of allowances.
In their final Chan preparations, the players briefly staged a strike ahead of their second leg tie against Lesotho and Chiyangwa came to the rescue donating $10 000 and he also gave them the same amount to share after they had qualified.
Zifa has moved in to make sure that after some disturbances last week due to an impasse between Pasuwa and the administration which led to the squad losing a week of preparations, there would be no further hindrance.
The players were told that they would be rewarded handsomely if they succeed at Chan and morale is high in camp with players fighting to make it in the final 23-member squad.
Yesterday, the team continued preparations with their normal two training sessions and they were still clinging on to the hope of captain Danny “Deco” Phiri recovering in time to make the trip to Rwanda. In the afternoon yesterday the medical team was still assessing the midfielder.
Zifa is also making efforts to organise an international friendly match for the Mighty Warriors who will be representing the country at the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil.
Zifa is hoping to secure a match against an unnamed Spanish club in the New Year after they resume training.
Chiyangwa has been using meetings with fellow football administrators and Fifa presidential candidates to seek friendlies for both the men’s and women’s teams.
By yesterday, Zifa was still tying up loose ends to a proposed friendly match pitting the Warriors and the Mozambican senior national team.
