Hope Chizuzu, Sport
HARARE – The level of discussions for football in the last few weeks has been especially touching.
The SRC have been exemplary in the way they have communicated things. Whether what they said delighted people or not is a subject for another day.
Even the fans have been clear and uncomplicated in their view that ZIFA erred in hiring Warriors coach Zdravko Logarusic and that he should be relived of his duties.
That message has beat even the “Rambai makashinga” anthem during the time Prof Jonathan Moyo ruled the airwaves and media space for prominence.
That the Zifa technical and development committee will meet over the Loga issue is not a secret anymore. But in all this, there is a lot that is not being said. This situation can not just be this simple. Loga has not convinced, even from day one in office but he has lived this long. Why?
It is because of a cartel created by the corrupt Wilson Mutekede, who upon the employment of Wellington Mpandare as general manager of the Warriors, was furious and did not want him a minute longer at Zifa.
The relationship was so bad that the same useless Loga had to intervene at one point. But ask yourself this question now. Have the two joined hands to become the same ‘camp’?
Is what we are seeing now with the selection of players and coaches, a result of that unity or collusion or both? Is Zifa not aware of that?
Well, Loga has to leave. But he is not the only problem or better still not the actual problem. The actual problem is this Diaspora brigade of guys working in cahoots with Mutekede, a select few coaches and academy directors and some Zifa leaders. These are the once running our affairs.
When the Diaspora brigade who pay handsomely to have their choices considered are unhappy about something, as they are now, details out. Capture? Guptas style?
Andrew Tapela, the vice chairman of the technical and development committee is the godfather of this cartel. He was chosen to receive and remit dirty money from the British Bridage and others because of his weight.
He is the southern region honce. Few talk about him because it is deliberate. To conceal that, a selected cartel from members of the media are added to ensure they preach their narrative and turns a blind eye to real issues. Has someone watched the media products over Warriors content?
Serious money changes hands with targeted foreign based getting huge air play and centimetre inches in the press week in week out. Has anyone bothered to notice, how many players get fair airplay and space in the press, even on personal issues.
The British brigade are given glowing coverage, even when we all know that those that come here to play are not even third grade quality.
The national team is ours together. It is not theirs. The tragedy struck when Failton Kamambo lost his crown to lead Zifa, so much that now it is a free for all with Phelimon Machana the most prominent one because he controls the purse and the HR personnel at the FA.
Why have we not bothered with that but are making noise about national team?
Is it because we love our team more than the game that should be producing the players?
Well, let us fire Loga now. He will save us the tears. Not only that, he will out most of the scandals.
Remember there is no honour amongst crooks. He has threatened to do so and the Guptas have responded to that by promising him to EXTEND HIS CONTRACT.
Yes, extending the contract for Loga? Unbelievable, but that is what he was promised. So Loga may actually not get sacked but get an extension to his contract? Ummmmmmm….guys inzwaiwo tsitsi nesu.
The longer Loga remains in charge the more this cartel continue to enjoy the money from the contract and the players, agents and managers whose undeserving players are called. It has become a business venture for this corrupt lot.
Picture this, Munyaradzi King Nadolo joins Dynamos from relegated TelOne while injured and he is immediately drafted into the CHAN team.
Not only that, he even makes the Afcon squad, now the COSAFA squad and even then the same dubious coach who called the player does not see him good enough to play a match, but is always the 18 member squad.
Do you tell me people do not see that? Do you tell me coaches are happy that Tonderai Ndiraya is at the moment a coach of four teams – Dynamos, Under 20, 23 and Warriors? One man in a country with so many very good coaches? Is it because the other coaches do not want to be corrupted? Or the beautiful ones are not yet born?
Why did Tapela refuse to have Bongani Mafu as one of the assistant coaches to Loga despite the committee recommending that? Is it because Mafu is not corrupt and does not want to be turned like a banana peel? AKUSEBENZEKI LAYE LOWU, NGOBA AKADLISI?
Well, Zifa simply has no leaders and the Congress is dead and too captured by the Guptas that they can not say a word. This Loga nonsense has only helped to show the nation the extent of corruption.
Tell me, why would the cartel running our football want to capture newsrooms, clubs, academies and Congress? To have a free reign. And who is sponsoring the scandal? The Diaspora Brigade. And the fights from those left out of the circle has gotten so bad that they are hoping on Loga exit sooner than later.
But will the captured Zifa fire Loga and lose the USD5000 they have been sharing from his employment? Will the nation be finally told who brought Loga from the back of beyond? Why do Mutekede send invoices to players and their agents and parents ahead of national team call up or tournaments?
Why does he ignore letters from coaches bodies questioning some of the things? Why are all outspoken coaches ignored? We can speculate and all about why our football is going down. It is not COVID-19. It is the corruption.
Remove everyone in office and see how football changes the very next day. All this that we watch is a movie shot somewhere in the UK with sponsors good enough to take care of the worries we have but Mutekede and crew are pocketing the loot the loot to protect the academies and justify selecting from a closed pool.
Zimbabwe football needs more of the pro-activity of the SRC to look into a lot more issues abused at the FA than just when football can return.
We have a lot of governance issues ignored, constitution flouted, money stolen and abused, books not presented, entire football family not in good standing with the statutes.
What is clear is football in this state can not reform itself , more so from within.
@Hchizuzu – twitter (WHATSAPP +263715001628)
