Zimpapers Logo

Ashford Mamelodi

Senior Sports Editor
ZIFA have come out in defence of FIFA development officer for Southern and Eastern Africa Ashford Mamelodi, who was heavily criticised by The Herald yesterday for insulting Zimbabwe through his wayward remarks related to the country’s expulsion from the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Jonathan Mashingaidze, the ZIFA chief executive, said Mamelodi was right to support Zimbabwe’s exclusion from the World Cup.

The Warriors are the only African nation who will not take part in the World Cup qualifiers and Zimbabwe is one of only two nations, in the FIFA family, who will not be involved.

“The Zimbabwe Football Association, through its General Secretary Mr Jonathan Mashingaidze, has expressed its disappointment and criticised insults being levelled against FIFA development officer for Eastern and Southern Africa Ashford Mamelodi by a local daily paper,” Mashingaidze said in a statement.

“The Zimbabwe Football Association takes great exception to insults directed to Mr Mamelodi by The Herald of July 29 and July 30 2015.

“It is also mind-boggling why the local daily would criticise Mamelodi’s honest opinion about Zimbabwe’s non-participation in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

“Mamelodi was reaffirming the fact that ZIFA is struggling financially to meet its obligations and it would be hard for them to manage high travelling expenses associated with World Cup fixtures.

“He was urging Zifa to spend and manage within their means and there was absolutely nothing amiss with his frank opinion.

“We feel that referring to persons who are merely expressing opinions on issues on the table as ‘foolish’ is a departure from the tenets of ethical and unprejudiced reporting, which should not impose conclusions on consumers.

“It is imprudent for a reputable media house to accuse Mamelodi of being subjective when he has been a friend of Zimbabwean football for a long time.

“The issue that Mr Mamelodi was a guest at Dr Cuthbert Dube’s house on the eve of 2010 ZIFA elections and hence not impartial is a conspiracy theory.

“The conspiracy theory is aimed at tarnishing the image of the Zimbabwe football mother body and all it has stood for in developing the game.

“We find it intriguing why these fabricated stories are being generated now. Mamelodi was neither a voter nor a candidate in the presidential elections and we believe all these deceitful stories have been targeting the ZIFA president, Dr Dube.”

But, former Premier Soccer League chief executive Chris Sambo had a different view.

“The conduct of Mamelodi at the just-ended ZIFA AGM confirms the MAFIA STYLE OF FIFA LEADERSHIP. The motion to revoke Dube’s mandate was vetoed by Mamelodi on the grounds that ‘the important thing is to do things as per the constitution,’” Sambo said in a statement.

“That coming from Mamelodi is the worst hypocrisy that our game has been exposed to. In 2010 at the elections that ushered Dube into office, Mamelodi allowed the elections to go ahead despite having been advised that the constitution required that there be an AGM before the elections were conducted.

“Charlie Jones, who raised a motion of objection to this violation, was evicted from the meeting under police escort. When I stood up to object to this blatant abuse of power I was also threatened with eviction.

“All this happened in full view of Mamelodi, who went on to endorse the elections. Dube was ushered into office despite the constitutional violation of the process.

“As for his statement that we should not worry about the World Cup, I think it is an insult to our country. As Zimbabweans, with the correct leadership, we have the capacity to mobilise resources for our team. We did it when we went to Egypt.

“Regrettably, under Dube, whom Mamelodi is shielding, no-one will put a cent into our football. As the Lifelong Footballers Trust, we will take up the issue of Mamelodi with FIFA.”