PROPERTY tycoon, Phillip Chiyangwa, who was elected the new Zifa president at the weekend has expressed gratitude to the councillors for showing confidence in his capabilities by giving him the mandate to lead the game.
Chiyangwa leads a board that also includes his deputy Omega Sibanda, Castle Lager Premier Soccer League chairperson, Twine Phiri, women football chairperson Elizabeth Langa, as well as Edzai Kasinauyo, Philemon Machana, Piraishe Mabhena and Felton Kamambo.
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| Phillip Chiyangwa Grateful For Mandate |
The new board, whose term is only two years, has a difficult task ahead to restore confidence in the football association as well as clearing $6 million in debts.
It replaces the Cuthbert Dube-led board that was booted out for incompetence in October.
Chiyangwa yesterday thanked the councillors for the vote, as well as calling on his rivals in the election to also work for the good of the game.
“I salute and applaud the Zifa councillors for giving me the space to be heard, grow in my understanding of the tasks ahead, and in the process becoming a true partner and friend to most of them,” reads part of his statement.
“In victory I extend a hand of gratitude and friendship to the worthy and committed candidates (my good brothers Trevor Carelse-Juul, Leslie Gwindi and James Takavada), who all fought a good fight and had the best interests of the sport at heart. In humility I ask for their continued counsel and contribution in making this a historic break for accountability, productivity and excellence in our football.
There is no loser, as football is the great winner today, as we embark on an exciting but gruelling journey to reclaim the lost glories of our most favourite and treasured pastime. One Zifa, one football family, one nation, under God — we shall have a new birth of sporting pride — a new business template for doing things.”
He promised to stick to pledges he made to the councillors, and the football public.
Chiyangwa acknowledged that there were many who were sceptical about him taking over the running of football, said he would work hard to earn their trust.
“I shall not betray the sacred trust that the football family has bestowed on me, and will never take this mandate for granted.What won the day was the greatness of the desire to see accountability, transparency and normal business principles reign over the smallness of our petty and contrived differences. The contest of ideas truly went to the wire, but I cherish the clean mandate to put into practice my well-crafted, inclusive, sustainable and well thought-out ideas on taking our football forward.Today there are no enemies and supporters, but members of the great football family, and I commit myself to win their trust, favour and above all respect and cooperation.”
While acknowledging that the new board faces a tough task turning around the fortunes of the game, he said that he was dedicated and committed to succeed at the helm of the football body.
“From the combat of ideas so passionately, and publicly laid out and sometimes most personal, we have a task before us to rebuild, restore and reposition a powerful football family and legacy so conceived and so dedicated, that it can long endure. From the pain and acrimony of disunity, we are rededicating ourselves to the great task before us. We cannot fail, must not fail and will not fail Zimbabwe in this most sacred trust of presiding over an institution so central to the creation and maintenance of our sense of unity and pride as a nation.”
