daniel chigunwe
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIFA presidential hopeful Nqobile Magwizi says the football mother body is duty-bound to forge partnerships with the Government, corporates and other sectors for the association to be efficient and effective.
Magwizi is one of the six candidates vying for the leadership of ZIFA in a strong field seeking to become the next substantive president after Felton Kamambo.
He will have to shake off the challenges of Martin Kweza, Twine Phiri, Makwinji Soma-Phiri, Philemon Machana, and Marshal Gore in elections scheduled for Harare on January 25.
The Harare businessman, who is spearheading the project to refurbish the National Sports Stadium in a public-private sector partnership, believes that collaborations can be the answer to moving Zimbabwean football forward.
Magwizi is looking to bring the business touch and instil due diligence and an adherence to the tenets of corporate governance at ZIFA.
Among a wide range of key focus areas, Magwizi says if elected, he will use his four-year term to also spearhead the construction of international standard stadiums in all the country’s 10 provinces and high-performance centres in all regions.
His vision is anchored on his strong belief in synergies with key stakeholders such as the Government, corporations, and even Non-Governmental Organisations.
Magwizi reckons that for all this to happen, there is a need to make ZIFA an ideal brand, which partners are comfortable associating with.
“We need sufficient and correct infrastructure. Every province should have a stadium that is CAF-approved.
“Every region should have a high-performance centre. That will ensure that we host competitions to create commercial value,” said Magwizi.
“I think Zimbabwe has been offered an amazing opportunity to transform its football, to restart the football systems.
“You can remember we had the Covid-19 pandemic, and after that we got suspended.
“After the suspension we got under the FIFA administration.
“And I think we have had enough time to self-introspect and see exactly where we want to take our football as a nation.
“So, the elections that are coming give all of us an opportunity to turn a new page.
“For the past 25 or so years, ZIFA has not been modelled in a sustainable manner that is business-based.’’
He also preached the gospel of self-sustenance at ZIFA, who have a tradition of moving around with a begging bowl to meet their obligations.
“It has seen a lot of footballers struggling. Former players, coaches, and general workers have not fully benefited be-cause the system is not self-sustainable.
“We need to make football sustainable.
“One of the reasons for that is because the brand is soiled.
“Everyone sees ZIFA as a corrupt organisation. We have done a dipstick survey, and a lot of people believe ZIFA is where people who love short-cuts and are corruptible congregates.
“Unfortunately, with this kind of branding, you can’t do much. So, we need to fix the institution so that it is stable and sustainable.
“Once the institution with a transparent and accountable framework for policies is in place, we certainly know that we can start working.”
Magwizi said football can never be efficiently run without the Government as a key partner.
“Then you know you can attract partners. You cannot operate an FA without having the Government as your partner,” he added.
“A good example is that of Morocco. The Government is all in, and they host the CAF awards, and the Government takes the full bill.
“That can only happen if the FA has a good relationship with the Government. Corporates are also very critical.
“But the moment they all feel that ZIFA can take value off them, they will shy away. We also need the NGOs.
“We also need to build technical prowess. We need to win competitions. We need to build our own philosophy.”
Magwizi, who, just like all the candidates, has been on a heightened campaign trail, has since also been endorsed by several former players, including ex-Warriors and Mamelodi Sundowns captain Esrom Nyandoro.
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