Chiyangwa calls for unity
COSAFA’S newly-elected president Philip Chiyangwa believes that greater unity and commitment by all members will be key in driving the regional soccer body to greater heights under his tenure.
The Zifa president was magnanimous in victory as he reached out to the leaders of the 14-member bloc to ensure that Cosafa plays an influential role in growing football in the region and subsequently on the continent.
Chiyangwa swept to the presidency of Cosafa unopposed on Saturday after his rival in the election race Danny Jordan of South Africa withdrew just before voting began.
It was the second time in as many elective Cosafa congresses that South African Football Association president Jordan had pulled out of an election just hours before polling had begun.
In the last Cosafa election that swept Patel to a second term in Gaborone, Botswana, Jordan also surprised the electorate when he withdrew his candidature.
Jordan’s withdrawal, however, did little to spoil a day of rejoicing for Chiyangwa and Zimbabwean football as Chiyangwa became the first local administrator to assume leadership of an international football body.
Yet many people had cast a huge doubt on Chiyangwa’s chances when he announced that he was running for the Cosafa presidency which initially had three candidates with Patel having indicated he was gunning for a third term.
Those who doubted Chiyangwa’s chances based their arguments on the basis that the flamboyant Harare businessman is still a green horn in international football politics having only just swept to the helm of Zifa on December 5 last year.
But Chiyangwa has never been one to shy away from standing for what he strongly believes in and quickly points out to the way “David slew Goliath’’ whenever someone suggests he “might be too small for a certain task’’.
Such was his confidence too that Chiyangwa rallied his Zifa board and subsequently the association’s assembly to support him as he defied his football administration inexperience to challenge for the Cosafa leadership.
All but one member of his board — Felton Kamambo — travelled to Sun City to lend support to their leader and they were not disappointed either.
The Zimbabwe National Soccer Supporters’ Association leader Eddie “Mboma’’ Nyatanga also made his way to South Africa to offer his support to the Zifa president.
Nyatanga arrived in South Africa on Friday to canvas support for Chiyangwa.
Crucially for Chiyangwa he also managed to convince the presidents of the southern region’s football associations that he was the man to give Cosafa a fresh impetus and coincidentally his election in Sun City in South Africa’s North West province comes at a time when Zimbabwe will be the only country from the zone to have qualified for the African Cup of Nations.
Zimbabwe’s Warriors will be the only Cosafa country among the 16 finalists at the 2017 Nations Cup in Gabon which will run from January 14 to February 5.
Interestingly Chiyangwa’s election comes just months after he had accepted an offer from the outgoing Patel for Zimbabwe to host the Cosafa Women’s Championships.
But it was his magnanimity in his hour of triumph that underlined Chiyangwa’s rapid rise into an “international football statesman’’.
Chiyangwa reckons that the unity of all members and even those who might have wished for Jordan to take over —
would be vital in driving Cosafa to the next level.
It is that unity which Chiyangwa wants his five-year term to be underpinned on.
“I am extremely humbled and thankful for the confidence which the Cosafa members have reposed in me through this election.
“I want to thank the outgoing leadership particularly president Suketu Patel for steering the ship to this level.
“I call upon all the members to join me and the new executive committee so that together we make the region a formidable bloc.
“We must remember that leadership renewal is meant to further grow and develop the game in all its facets and not in a divisive process.
“It is my conviction that Cosafa being the biggest zone in our continent should just not be an issue of more numbers at an elective congress of Caf but that such huge numbers must manifest into more development on the field of play and capacity building of the administrators.
“Cosafa should have more say in the governance of the game and indeed have a voice that could be heard both on the continent and at Fifa,’’ Chiyangwa said.
Chiyangwa said he could not immediately outline the steps that he would want to take in steering Cosafa as he would also need to meet the council’s secretariat headed by veteran administrator Sue Destombes at the regional body’s headquarters in South Africa.
He, however, briefly chaired an impromptu meeting with his committee that also includes his deputy Frans Mbidi of Namibia, Walter Manda, General Neto, Sameer Sobha, Andrew Kamanga and Junior Simango.
Patel indicated that he was happy to leave office after having managed to convince the Southern African associations to give more attention to junior football, arguing that when he came into office, “Cosafa was only about the Castle Cup for senior men’’.
“When I took over the presidency 10 years ago, development was the objective and we have achieved that.
“It is important to know when one has done his job and leave with dignity.
“Back then we had one tournament, our senior challenge, the Castle Cup, but this year we have hosted five events across the age groups in men’s and women’s football.
“It has always been our objective that young players’ first exposure to international football is in our region. I hope that legacy will continue.
“We have great sponsors in place and these relationships now need to be nurtured. We have built a credible institution that is accountable to its members. Cosafa is perceived to be the premier region in the Caf family,” Patel said.
There is a strong feeling in all the Cosafa members that they have never really turned their huge numbers into influential roles in the Confederation African Football and more worryingly for the region their teams have not turned their potential into dominance as Southern Africa continues to live in the shadows of their counterparts from the North and Western parts of the continent. With 14 members, Cosafa is African football’s biggest zone. WARRIORS talisman Knowledge Musona and a number of other foreign-based players are likely to miss the high profile international friendly soccer match against Cote d’Ivoire in Abidjan on Boxing Day as they would still be committed at their respective clubs.
The Zimbabwe national soccer team are scheduled to go into camp on Thursday to kick-start their preparations for the 2017 African Cup of Nations finals in Gabon next month.
However, the friendly match against Cote d’Ivoire, which will be staged three days after the squad had assembled in Harare, might fail to draw the full strength squad amid reports that some key Warriors players will be absent.
Warriors coach Callisto Pasuwa is expected to announce his enlarged squad for the Nations Cup today.
But it has emerged that Belgium-based forward Musona, who has a league match against AS Eupen on the same day the Warriors date Cote d’Ivoire, is likely to miss the game.
Also doubtful for the first Warriors friendly match against the West African giants is China-based forward Nyasha Mushekwi.
The Chinese League One season ended a month ago but Mushekwi is currently in the United Kingdom for personal business and he is only expected back home on December 27.
Sparta Prague defender Costa Nhamoinesu is also likely to miss the trip to Abidjan due to club commitments in the Czech Republic.
But a number of players who helped the Warriors qualify for the 2017 Afcon finals will be available for the friendly match against Cote d’Ivore and they include the likes of goalkeepers Tatenda Mukuruva and Donovan Benard, defenders Hardlife Zvirekwi, Elisha Muroiwa, Lawrence Mhlanga, Teenage Hadebe, Tendai Ndlovu and Ronald Pfumbidzayi.
Midfielders Liberty Chakoroma, Lewis Kutinyu, Ronald Chitiyo, Marshal Mudehwe, Talent Chawapiwa, Walter Musona and Malvin Gaki, strikers Pritchard Mpelele, Tinotenda Kadewere and veteran Leonard Tsipa are also expected to make the trip to Abidjan.
The Warriors will barely have time to train for the Elephants game as they could be travelling to Abidjan in dribs and drabs.
Warriors’ manager, Sharif Mussa, was yesterday not available to comment on their itinerary but the team is likely to leave a day or two after assembling.
The players plying their trade in the South African Premiership, who form the large brigade of foreignbased players in the national team, are concluding their matches on Thursday before the Christmas break.
Khama Billiat’s Mamelodi Sundowns would be away to Baroka FC on Unity Day while Warriors skipper Willard Katsande’s Kaizer Chiefs will travel to Durban for a match against Golden Arrows on Wednesday.
The South Africa-based players are likely to connect from Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport straight to West Africa rather than travelling to Zimbabwe first. Warriors coach Pasuwa was hoping to have the first few days of training set aside for medicals and fitness tests.
But he will have to make do with the programme which has been put in place by Zifa and get the locally based players, currently off-season and would need at least a week of intensive training to pick up again, to get in shape quickly.
Pasuwa has noted that he would be happy to play at least two or three international friendly matches before heading to Gabon for the Afcon finals.
The Warriors are still expected to play another West African opposition next month when they travel to Yaounde to wind up their preparations with a match against Cameroon on January 10.
Zimbabwe will use their stay in Cameroon to acclimatise with neighbouring Gabon’s conditions.
The Warriors are then expected to make a short trip of 45 minutes from Yaounde to Libreville, Gabon, where they will further catch a domestic flight to Franceville where Group B teams will based.
Zimbabwe’s opening African Cup of Nations match is on January 15 against Algeria. They will also take on Tunisia and Senegal in Group B.
Zifa are still to confirm another friendly match against the host nation Gabon. If confirmed, the Warriors will play the Panthers before they meet the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in another international friendly match ahead of the Afcon finals.