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OPEN DOOR POLICY . . . ZIFA acting president Omega Sibanda (left) and finance chief Philemon Machana say their organisation will meet former Warriors and Liverpool star Bruce Grobbelaar

Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
ZIFA have revealed their excitement at the prospects of establishing a working relationship with Warriors legend Bruce Grobbelaar and are lining up a meeting with the former Liverpool goalkeeper in Harare next week to explore areas of cooperation.

Grobbelaar is in the country for a series of business meetings with the Jungleman ending 11 years of exile from a country he is adored for his exploits for both the Warriors and English football giants Liverpool.

An eccentric goalkeeper who also featured for Highlanders during his youthful days, Grobbelaar’s business approach seems to have charmed ZIFA with the association’s vice-president — Omega Sibanda — yesterday indicating that they were looking to meet with him early next week.

Sibanda in welcoming Grobbelaar’s offer to assist ZIFA, said he was expecting more Warriors legends to follow suit and play different roles in the development of the game in the country.

Most of the country’s former players have ventured into coaching with few taking up administrative and managerial positions.

“Bruce is more than welcome just like any other legend to work with us. We are organising through our chief executive that our board members who are in Harare meet with him.

“But we say to Bruce Grobbelaar, welcome back home and feel free to contribute to the development of the game and any of our other legends are equally welcome to do the same and we treat them all with the same respect,’’ Sibanda said.

The ZIFA vice-president also said he was happy to note that Grobbelaar had spoken of the need to assist Zimbabwean players to break into top European leagues with the Jungleman indicating that he could use his many contacts abroad to recommend talented players to different clubs.

“The Minister of Sport (Arts and Recreation) Kazembe Kazembe recently mentioned that we need to have more of our players moving into much bigger leagues than just the South African Premiership and other leagues in our region.

“So we really need people like Bruce who has the experience and the contacts to be that conduit that can facilitate such moves,’’ Sibanda said.

ZIFA board member finance Philemon Machana also welcomed the gesture by Grobbelaar, adding that it came at a time when FIFA and CAF have also embraced the embraced the legends of the game and allowing them an opportunity to take leading roles in shaping the future of the sport.

“The bottom line is that as an association we welcome any stakeholder willing to play a role in the development of the game.

“It becomes even more exciting when such interest comes from our former players and legends in the form of the Jungleman Bruce Grobbelaar.

“So as a matter of principle ZIFA realises and acknowledges the football knowledge endowed in these living heroes of our game and will be more than willing to tap from such an oasis of knowledge more so when the former players are willing to take any such an important role in our game.

“ZIFA is for all of us and we need our yesteryear greats to be part of the football revolution in Zimbabwe. ZIFA is willing and ready to sit down with Bruce any day any time to together grow the country’s number one sport,’’ Machana said.

The ZIFA finance director noted that in an era in which intentional bodies — FIFA and CAF — had embraced such legends like Luis Figo and Abedi Pele by giving them roles in the game, ZIFA needed to follow suit.

Ghanaian legend Pele was named to serve on the standing committees of CAF with the continental football governing body appointing the three-time African Footballer of the Year to be a member of the committee for Youth Africa Cup of Nations for Under-17, Under-20, and Under-23.

“If one looks globally even at FIFA legends are now playing crucial roles in the way and direction our game must develop, you look at Figo, Diego (Maradona) and many others they are now a common and permanent feature in football corridors.

“Locally, we also need more such zeal and desire from all other legends and not just Bruce. This is our nation and in this new dispensation and has been requested by the country’s President, we all have a role to play and sport must also lead by example in uniting all sons and daughters of our beloved Zimbabwe to build a sport industry. Bruce is welcome,’’ Machana said.

Machana and Felton Kamambo are two of the board members based in the capital who are expected to be among the crew that will meet with Grobbelaar.

Grobbelaar this week added his voice on the debate on why Zimbabwean players were failing to break into the elite European leagues and later offered to facilitate moves of those that are talented.

The Jungleman, citing Warriors skipper Knowledge Musona as an example, said he had observed that there were talented players in the country who needed just the right guidance and contacts in securing big moves.

Debate has been raging on the career paths that Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino and Musona have taken since the pair shared the same dressing room during their European breaks in Germany five years ago.

Grobbelaar told The Herald this week that if he had his way then he would not hesitate to recommend the Warriors skipper to any of the big European clubs on account of his vast talent.

“Knowledge is one of the best talents that I have seen in this part of the world in a long time. There is no doubt the boy is talented.

“But sometimes it’s just not fair to try and compare him with someone else at his level. There are many factors involved. He is good yes, but when it comes to those big European moves it also depends on who is handling his career affairs and who is handling Fermion’s?

“You have to ask many questions like does the person have broad contacts in Europe? That discrepancy between the agents can make a huge difference. To me Knowledge is a very good player,” Grobbelaar said.

Grobbelaar also backed the talent emerging from this country and said he believes that Musona is one of the best forwards from Southern Africa at the moment, despite his apparent failure to break into the big European leagues.

Firmino has become a star at former European champions and 18-time English football kings Liverpool in the highly competitive English Premiership while Musona plays for KV Oostende in the modest Belgian top-flight.