Game-On Reporter
OF the six candidates plotting to become the next ZIFA president, only Makwinji Soma Phiri is an ex-professional footballer, and the former Dynamos striker has warned intruders against meddling in football matters.
Soma Phiri wants to be the first ex-professional footballer to lead the Zimbabwe Football Association.
Elections are set for Harare on January 25.
And Soma Phiri fears vultures have circled around football and wants the ZIFA councillors to vote for a football person on January 25.
Among the six candidates is Nqobile Magwizi, a Sakunda Holdings front, whose links with Banket United have been extensively questioned.
Martin Kweza is the Northern Region chairman who was last year accused of aiding Scottland FC’s promotion bid.
Twine Phiri is a former CAPS United owner who also led the Premier Soccer League between 2011 and 2015.
Marshal Gore has no solid football history, save for alleged attempts to smuggle British born Zimbabwean players into the national team.
Philemon Machana is a businessman who served in the previous ZIFA board but was actually the power behind Felton Kamambo’s reign.
“Doctors associations are run by doctors, lawyers run their own organisations, politicians run their politics, and so do musicians.
“But in football we allow non-football people to run our football.
“We should be running our own football,” Soma Phiri told The Herald.
“We need to reclaim our football and make it the family game it used to be back then.
“Remember back in the day when fans would pack the National Sports, but now there seems to be little interest in football?
“We need to correct that. We need to transform our game so that fans can come back.”
