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Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
CAPS United president Farai Jere is set to officially become the next Premier Soccer League chairman after the Harare businessman emerged as the only candidate for the position ahead of the top-flight body’s elections next month. Jere, who initially had ambitions to lead ZIFA before changing his mind in 2015 and throwing his weight behind Philip Chiyangwa, was the only candidate vying for the position to lead the PSL at the close of nominations on June 15.

The PSL have been without a substantive leader since the suspension of Peter Dube in November 2016.
Dube had earlier succeeded Twine Phiri at the helm of the elite league.

But when the former Highlanders chairman fell out with ZIFA and was subsequently suspended, the PSL then set up a four-man emergency which was headed by ex-Dynamos president Kenny Mubaiwa.

That Emergency Committee also included Lifa Ncube of Chicken Inn, Triangle’s Lovemore Matsikinyidze and Jere and, for the last two years, they led the league which is administered by chief executive Kenny Ndebele and his secretariat.

But Jere is now set to assume a four-year mandate to lead the PSL, with the position also enabling him to sit on the ZIFA board.

And the CAPS United boss is excited about the prospects of leading the elite league and believes his 14 years’ experience in the administration of the game will come in handy.

Jere led the Green Machine to a maiden place in the Champions League group stage last year.
“I had thought that with all the excitement surrounding the game there was going to be some competition,’’ he said.
“But if it means I will have to get in without having to campaign still I am ready to take up the challenge.

“I am excited with the opportunity to serve my country.’’
He also spoke of some of his expectations on the PSL.
“Obviously, transparency, adherence to the constitution and proper governance are some of the areas that need improvement. The main issue here is to move forward with the game, we have to develop.

“With the experience that I have I am sure I can take the game to another level. I have been around for quite some time and I believe I have seen a lot.

“As a football nation we need to do things in a proper manner. We need to compete with the other successful leagues in the region.

“Our league is very competitive. We have got the quality as can be seen by the way our local Warriors dominated the COSAFA tournament last year,” said Jere.

His CAPS United project has also underlined its qualities by remaining competitive despite exporting players to clubs outside the country, especially South Africa.

Jere’s ascendancy to the PSL throne, unopposed, was the highlight of the vetting exercise undertaken by the ZIFA Electoral Committee as domestic football’s election season moved a gear up on Tuesday.

The Electoral Committee, chaired by Vusilizwe Vuma, met in Harare on Tuesday to go through the nominations that had been submitted and after their vetting exercise they released the official list of successful candidates yesterday.

Vuma’s committee also set July 14 as the date on which elections for the PSL, Zimbabwe Women’s Football League, Beach Soccer, and Futsal would take place.

The Electoral Committee chairman said they were now focussing their attention on delivering “smooth elections for the affiliates that have been set for next month’’.

“We closed the nominations on 15 June and we then met on Tuesday 19 June to vet all the candidates.
“In terms of the process, those who have been nominated unopposed will be confirmed on the day of the election but as it stands they are unopposed.

“If there is anyone who might want to appeal about late entry, they would really have to prove that they were not aware of this process.

“But that would be strange because there were media adverts in the press, radio and television and within the affiliate bodies themselves so if one was interested in the elections they would have known about the nominations,’’ Vuma said.
There were no contests, too, for the Fustal chairperson and his deputy with Lovemore Chidhakwa and Victor Muzadzi being nominated unopposed as was the case with Wilbert Rambanepasi’s candidature for the vice-chairmanship of the Women’s League.

The ZIFA Electoral Committee Candidates list:

PSL Chairperson: Farai Jere
ZWSL Chairperson: Rosemary Kanonge
& Barbra Chikosi
ZWSL Vice Chairperson: Wilbert
Rambanepasi
ZWSL Board Members: Beaullar Msarah, Tafadzwa Mujuru, Panganai Mahachi &
Brendah Gorejena
Beach Soccer Chairperson: Joseph Musariri & Marshall Jonga
Futsal Chairperson: Lovemore Chidhakwa
Futsal Vice Chairperson: Victor Muzadzi