Eyebrows raised over Fifa course host NO FAIR PLAY . . . zifa bozard members Fungai Chihuri (left) and John Phiri attend a fifa media briefing in Harare where the association’s financial predicament was discussed in October
NO FAIR PLAY . . . zifa bozard members Fungai Chihuri (left) and John Phiri attend a fifa media briefing in Harare where the association’s financial predicament was discussed in October

NO FAIR PLAY . . . zifa bozard members Fungai Chihuri (left) and John Phiri attend a fifa media briefing in Harare where the association’s financial predicament was discussed in October

Robson Sharuko in HARARE and Sikumbuzo Moyo in BULAWAYO
THE hosting of a high-profile FIFA/COSAFA coaching course at a Bulawayo hotel, which is part of a group of low-cost hotels where a ZIFA board member is a top executive, has raised eyebrows ahead of the start of the Region Five Under-20 Games in the City of Kings today.

The four-day coaching course, underwritten by FIFA and COSAFA, which got underway on Wednesday and ends on Sunday, is being held at Bulawayo’s Cecil Hotel, which was acquired by low-cost hospitality group, Hotels and Leisure Africa, in October this year.

ZIFA board member, Fungai Chihuri, is the General Manager of one of its hotels, the HALA Select Selous Hotel, in Harare.

Questions are being asked as to how the FIFA/COSAFA coaching course ended up being hosted at a Bulawayo hotel, where Chihuri is a senior executive at the hospitality group that owns the hotel, and whether this doesn’t present a clear case of a conflict of interest.

Although Zimbabwe has done well to try and stage the best Region 5 Youth Games ever, it appears ZIFA have been found wanting in terms of playing their supporting role in the hosting of the youth sporting showcase.

Chihuri, the ZIFA board member in charge of competitions, and the association’s chief executive, Jonathan Mashingaidze, attended the COSAFA annual general meeting in Johannesburg last month.

The COSAFA annual indaba was for the presidents, vice-presidents and chief executives of the Football Associations that fall under the Southern African regional grouping and Chihuri attended the indaba standing in the shoes of ZIFA president, Cuthbert Dube.

ZIFA vice-president, Omega Sibanda, who was not only supposed to be a delegate at the indaba but could have stood in for Dube, who did not attend the meeting, was not even advised that the association was required to send delegates to the COSAFA annual general meeting last month.

The invites for the ZIFA president, vice-president and chief executive to attend the 2014 COSAFA annual general meeting, were sent to the association’s headquarters at 53 Livingstone Avenue but, for one reason or another, Sibanda was not advised of the indaba and, instead, a hand was extended to Chihuri to attend as acting ZIFA president.

The COSAFA officials, who are running the football tournament at these Games, arrived in the country to find that the host national association had not made plans for them to be received at the airport.

But, despite ZIFA’s shortcomings, a delegation of five Ministers of Sport and two Sports Ministers’ representatives from the sadc region yesterday certified Zimbabwe as ready to host a successful sixth edition of the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Under-20 Youth Games.

Led by the chairman of the Council of Ministers, Zimbabwe’s Sport, Arts and Culture Minister, Andrew Langa, and the chairperson of the regional organising committee, Mvuzo Mbebe, the Ministers kicked off their tour with a visit to the Bulawayo Athletics Club before proceeding to the Bulawayo Swimming Pool.

On the tour were Lesotho Sports Minister Thesele Maseribana, Botswana Sports Minister Thabelo Olopeng, Swaziland Sports Minister David Ngcaphela, Angola Deputy Sports Minister Albino Da Consecao and the personal assistant to Namibia’s Sports Minister, Rev Hausiku.

After the two venues, the delegation visited the ZITF which will host basketball and judo.

At Hall Five, the venue for judo, the tatami cushions on both competition and warm-up venues had been laid down.

The tatami cushions are where the judokas fight on.

The Ministers’ first concern though was Hall Three and Four, the venue for basketball, whose courts are yet to be completed.

Mbebe was quick to allay any fears that the Ministers might have, assuring them that the equipment has already left Durban and was by last night expected to be at the Beitbridge border post.

He later told the media that a team was dispatched yesterday to facilitate quick border clearance issues.

“We should be done by tomorrow (today) evening,” said Mbebe.

The main basketball arena has a sitting capacity of 5 000 spectators.

The football battles get underway this afternoon and COSAFA have been placing a lot of focus on the coaching course with the regional football organisation saying that it will be one of the highlights of the Games.

“One of the highlights of the African Union Sports Commission Region 5 Youth Games in Bulawayo will be a youth coaching course organised by COSAFA in conjunction with FIFA,” COSAFA said on their Facebook page.

“Top young male and female coaches from around Zimbabwe will attend the course that will run from December 3-7 at the Cecil Hotel in Bulawayo.

“Not only will the Course involve theory, but the young coaches will also be asked to analyse and assess the men’s and women’s matches at the junior football tournaments that are organised by COSAFA as part of the AUSC Region 5 U20 Youth Games.

“The coaches will be tutored by top FIFA Instructors Fran Hilton-Smith and Govinden Thondoo.”

COSAFA competitions committee chairman, Timothy Shongwe, said the development of young football coaches was part of their grand vision and this is why this coach was very important.

“Our mandate is to develop the game of football in Southern Africa and that includes the young coaches across the region,” said Shongwe.

“This five-day course will be very important in the careers of these coaches just starting out in the game.

“This is just the latest in a number of courses in which COSAFA have partnered with FIFA to help grow the skills in the region.”

ZIFA, themselves, also emphasised on the importance of the coaching course last month.

“Twenty level one local coaches will convene in Bulawayo next week for the FIFA/COSAFA youth coaching course which is set to run from the 3rd to the 7th of December, this year,” the association said on their official website.

“The list of twenty participants was drawn from the country’s ten provinces and it comprises of ten female and ten male coaches.

“FIFA, together with COSAFA, seek to promote football development by operating extensive training and further education programmes which provide learning opportunities for member associations’ coaches and instructors.

You Might Also Like

Comments

Take our Survey

We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey