Blatter leaves, pledges support

its step, with prospects of a bright future powered by funds and technical expertise from the world soccer controlling body.
The organisation’s representatives in Southern Africa yesterday hailed the historic visit and said Zimbabwean football would never be the same again.

Blatter ended his 24-hour whirlwind tour of Zimbabwe by flying out of Harare in the morning to Durban, South Africa, after a maiden visit that charmed the nation and brought hope for a better tomorrow.
The 75-year-old Swiss, the most powerful man in world football, pledged – as he left the country – to remain committed to his promise to help transform the fortunes of Zimbabwe football, which could see the country getting US$1,5 million in direct Fifa aid.

There could also be more, in terms of technical help, with referees and coaches also being seconded here.
The Fifa president, who was accompanied by secretary-general Jerome Valcke and some high-ranking officials including his advisor Walter Gagg and head of development Cyril Loisel, also met President Mugabe,

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai as well as the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart and his Tourism and Hospitality Industry counterpart Walter Mzembi.
Fifa development officer for Southern Africa, Ashford Mamelodi, has urged Zifa to maximise on the historic visit to Zimbabwe by Blatter and turn the association into a professional and viable entity.

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Mamelodi is Fifa’s point man in the region and the Botswana-based official has over the years been working hard to try and assist successive Zifa boards to turn around the fortunes of the game.
But Mamelodi reckons that although the current Zifa leadership has shown a passion and zeal to unlock value in the domestic game, Blatter’s visit – which ended yesterday – should be the tonic that should give local football a fresh impetus to grow.

The Fifa boss pledged the world body’s full support to Zifa in their development efforts and noted the challenges that the association has faced along the way.
Mamelodi also threw his weight behind Zifa president Cuthbert Dube and his lieutenants and backed them to succeed in their tenure at 53 Livingstone Avenue and revealed that the board had also charmed Blatter with its vision for the game.

Blatter – who toured the Zifa Village in Mt Hampden – pledged Fifa’s assistance for Zifa’s Goal Project and revealed that the world body was working on the plea by the association for funding to recapitalise their opera- tions.

Zifa have asked for US$1,5 million which they believe will jump start them and help pay a seemingly endless list of creditors.
As the Fifa boss flew off to Durban, South Africa, he also reiterated before his departure that he had been impressed by Zimbabwe and Zifa’s efforts to clean up the game and conduct business in a transparent manner.

But Mamelodi warned that Zifa should not bask in the glory of having had the privilege to host Blatter and “ensure Zimbabwean football really profits from this rare visit by a Fifa president to the country”.

Mamelodi felt that Blatter’s visit would bring a lot of positive spin-offs for local football and also give impetus to Zifa’s rebranding exercise which has seen the association
trying to win the confidence of the corporate world to come in and partner the country’s biggest sport.

“History has been made… this was a very important visit, I am extremely happy that it was possible. We have been trying on many occasions to have him here including last year when he was visiting South Africa ahead of the World Cup.

“Zifa needed it…Zifa needed something like a visit by the Fifa president for the sake of their image in the eyes of the public, the government and the corporate world. We now need to build on this and the confidence levels that it brings because maybe now sponsors can listen to us,” Mamelodi said.

Mamelodi also shared the same sentiments with Blatter and said Zifa needed to be innovative in order for them to access Fifa support with the development officer suggesting an urgent strengthening of the secretariat.

“For me the reconstruction of Zifa must start from within, the governance structures such as the board and the secretariat must be strengthened. They need to present themselves as a united front and with full support behind their president.

“They need to take the initiative and Fifa will provide,” Mamelodi said.
Mamelodi said Zifa also urgently needed to appoint at least two key managers to help chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze in administering the association.

There have been genuine concerns that the set-up at Zifa has meant that their chief executive is being overburdened as he has literally had to do everything in the administration of the game.
“We cannot have Jonathan continuing to run around like a headless chicken.

“It’s too much for the young man and it is untenable because he needs time to focus on his duties as chief executive otherwise we will all accuse of him of having failed yet he is also human.
“Zifa urgently needs a finance and administration manager and a communications manager. For me those are the priority areas that Zifa urgently need to address so that the board does not do operational issues, they can always find a marketing manager or officer later when they have filled those two key posts.

“It doesn’t augur well for the cohesion between the board and the secretariat if the board members are to be involved in the day to day running of football.
“The communications guy will help us with image building because we need to profit from Blatter’s visit.

“Zifa has been painted by a bad brush because of problems associated with previous leaderships, now we need someone who can manage a Zifa website and keep the stakeholders informed of the true picture of football”.

Mamelodi also warned Zifa against resting on their laurels and believing that Blatter’s visit would automatically mean a change in the association’s fortunes.
“You cannot go to sponsors and think you will come out with a big deal simply because Blatter was here, we need to put the Zifa house in order first.

“But it was important that Blatter was here and also met with the leaders of the country and this should be the catalyst that Zimbabwe football needed.
Blatter also promised Zifa that Fifa would avail funds for the third phase of the association’s Goal Project, expected to start at the end of September.

“Goal Project II is starting soon. It is regrettable that Zifa’s Goal project has taken too long but I sat down with the architects and looked at the master plan and the budget went beyond US$1 million.
“We will do it in parts and the initial one will be a totally serviceable and habitable camp house with adequate security. The next stage will be the training fields and the final component will be the floodlights around the pitch which will be natural grass.

“We cannot have artificial turf because it is too expensive, that would require an additional US$700 000.
“But we need a fully completed Zifa Village so that can save money and the senior national team can be able stay and train there. In the long term then we should look at a new Zifa office because where you conduct your business from is also an important place that can instill confidence in people.

“Everybody is happy with Zifa under Cuthbert and Blatter was impressed by the Zifa president’s inclination towards transparency, now we need to strengthen their secretariat and implement the resolutions of the Kariba declaration that we made last year,” Mamelodi said.

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