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Andy Hodges

Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
BANKER Andy Hodges, who has been earmarked for the chairmanship of CAPS United, has also set his sights on becoming the ZIFA secretary general after recently availing his services for the top post in the Association’s secretariat.

ZIFA are head-hunting for a new chief executive after all the applicants failed to meet the football controlling body’s expectations.

Joseph Mamutse, the chief operations officer, is currently acting as the ZIFA general secretary.

A month ago, the ZIFA committee on human resources held interviews where they recommended three candidates for consideration by the Association’s president Philip Chiyangwa.

But the trio of former Mamelodi Sundowns general manager Kenneth Makhanya, ZIFA Southern Region Division One board member Brighton Malandule and ex-Dynamos treasurer Eric Mvududu did not meet Chiyangwa’s expectations.

The Harare property mogul then resorted to head-hunt a chief executive to replace Jonathan Mashingaidze whose contract was not extended when it expired in April.

It has, however, emerged that internatonal banker Hodges, who is considering returning home after six years working in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, wants to become the next ZIFA chief executive. The former CAPS United boss was last week earmarked for a post on the club’s leadership, with the champions announcing they were pursuing his services to be a co-chairperson together with Lewis Uriri.

The Herald can reveal Hodges has also opened himself to the possibility of becoming the ZIFA chief executive.

The sticking point, as of now, remains the kind of salary which a man of Hodges expertise will be looking for given ZIFA are in financial doldrums and are being suffocated by a $7 million debt.

“Chiyangwa’s main concern is the kind of salary that someone like Hodges might require and that is the hurdle that must be jumped first otherwise there is an appreciation from the ZIFA boss that he has the right credentials for the big job,” sources said.

“But Philip obviously only want the very best because he feels the secretariat is key in the vision that he has in turning around the fortunes of the Association.

“He usually gets his kind of man and let’s see how this one plays out.”

Hodges is credited for turning around the fortunes of CAPS United when he was the chairman of the club during that golden period when the team, under the tutelage of Charles Mhaluri, won back-to-back title leagues in 2004 and 2005.

The seasoned banker has also worked for the CBZ bank in the past as one of the financial institution’s top managers. ZIFA, in their advertisement, said they were looking for a person with a commercial degree or relevant sports management degree along with technical appreciation and understanding of financial management.

“The incumbent is expected to carry several roles some of which include implementation of decisions passed by the congress and executive committee, organising meetings for the congress and executive committee, standing committees, and provide secretariat services as well as lead the process of the Association’s budget formulation and control,” the advert read.

“The general secretary will also be expected to plan all national team and club representatives in CAF matches in addition to managing relations with managers, stakeholders and affiliates among others.”

Meanwhile, the Cameroon Football Federation have confirmed that the Indomitable Lions will face the Warriors on January 10 in an international friendly as part of both teams preparations for the 2017 Nations Cup finals.

The confirmation was posted on the Cameroon Football Federation official website.

“The Indomitable Lions will face the Warriors on 10 January at home. This will probably be the last friendly match the two teams will deliver before heading to Gabon where they will take part in CAN 2017,” the statement said.

“It is in Cameroon, notably at the Centre of Excellence of the Confederation of African Football of Mbankomo, that the national selection of Zimbabwe will make its final preparatory course for the African Cup of Nations in Gabon next year.

“Housed in Group B of the tournament with Algeria, Senegal and Tunisia, the Warriors will enjoy their stay in the country of Roger Milla to compete against the local Indomitable Lions in a friendly match scheduled for 10 January. The match expected to take place at the Omnisports Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé.

The Omnisports Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium hold bitter memories for the Warriors given it was the venue where their brave quest for the 1994 World Cup came to a controversial end in the final game of the qualifiers.

The Indomitable Lions won the match 3-1 but there were many questionable decisions, in favour of the home side, the then Warriors coach Reinhard Fabisch lost his cool, after the game, and waved some United States dollar notes in the face of the referee.

The German was suggesting the match officials had been paid to ensure his team, which had beaten Cameroon 1-0 in Harare with Agent Sawu scoring a last-gasp goal, would lose the vital match. Fabisch was later banned for a year by CAF for his actions.