Sports / Soccer
Omega Sibanda backs Chiyangwa
29 Oct 2015 at 05:29hrs | Views
BROTHERS IN ARMS . . . Omega Sibanda (left) poses for a picture with Philip Chiyangwa after the duo's meeting in Bulawayo yesterday
BULAWAYO businessman Omega Sibanda has thrown his weight behind aspiring ZIFA presidential candidate Phillip Chiyangwa and revealed yesterday that he would be canvassing for support for him from the association councillors ahead of the December 5 elections.
The declaration followed a meeting between the two in which Sibanda agreed to become Chiyangwa's running mate for the elections or a new board of the beleaguered football mother body that has been weighed down by crippling debts.
Chiyangwa has hit the ground running since officially becoming a ZIFA presidential candidate, on Monday when he paid his registration fee.
There are no other candidates who have officially entered the race yet, although there are strong indications that former Dynamos chairman and ex-Warriors fitness trainer Temba Mliswa, incumbent Premier Soccer League boss Twine Phiri, former Warriors right-back James Takavada and 2014 losing ZIFA presidential candidate Trevor Carelse-Juul will battle for the right to lead the national association.
Having officially registered as a candidate, Chiyangwa has wasted no time trying to charm the game's key stakeholders.
Yesterday he took his whirlwind campaign trail to Bulawayo, Masvingo and Chiredzi as he begun interacting with councillors and the game's other stakeholders.
Former ZIFA vice president Sibanda confirmed he had held a meeting with Chiyangwa after which he resolved to back the flamboyant Harare businessman.
Sibanda, who was deputy to Cuthbert Dube on the ZIFA board before he was suspended, has also strongly hinted that he would seek a fresh mandate to serve on the association's executive committee.
But after having resolved to throw his weight behind Chiyangwa yesterday, Sibanda now looks to contest for the association's vice president's post.
It is Sibanda's argument too that he never really got a chance to execute his role as Dube's deputy largely because of clashes with ZIFA chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze.
Sibanda said he had bought into the gospel that Chiyangwa has been preaching, that of unlocking the value in football and driving the capitalisation programme for ZIFA in which he has launched an audacious bid to turn around the cash-strapped association's fortunes before 2018.
"I met Dr Chiyangwa in Bulawayo this morning and he was talking about his candidature and I felt he made a lot of sense in the vision that he has for our football. I will definitely support him. He is also the only candidate who has come to me but I must also say the onus rests with the councillors who I respect so much," Sibanda said.
Sibanda also said he had been charmed by the analogies that Chiyangwa drew between South African Football Association president Danny Jordan, veteran South African politician and businessman Tokyo Sexwale and himself.
Former South African cabinet minister and African National Congress member Sexwale has thrown his name for the FIFA presidency.
"He spoke about how Danny Jordan has managed to steer SAFA despite being a businessman and a Mayor and the fact that Sexwale has a strong political background and is also a businessman but they are both into football and holding key positions in the game," Sibanda said.
Chiyangwa reckoned that Sibanda should come in as his deputy in the ZIFA election race, arguing that the former players' agent "was not given enough time on the last board".
"I chose him (Sibanda) because he was never given a chance on the previous board and I believe he has the potential and capacity to do well and he is going to be my running mate," Chiyangwa said.
It also emerged that Chiyangwa's gospel of unlocking the business value of football has charmed a number of the councillors and stakeholders he has met so far.
It is the Harare businessman's contention that that football should take its place as a big industry in the country that should contribute to the Gross Domestic Product.
"Football is now a billion dollar industry in Europe. It has become a major employer globally and we want that to happen to our football and it is very possible to do that.
"In fact Zimbabwe has the potential to even attract a lot of talented foreign players that can help to give a competitive edge to our leagues," Chiyangwa said.
Chiyangwa also insisted that he had felt compelled to throw his name into the ZIFA presidential race in order to play his part in rescuing the situation in the game.
The declaration followed a meeting between the two in which Sibanda agreed to become Chiyangwa's running mate for the elections or a new board of the beleaguered football mother body that has been weighed down by crippling debts.
Chiyangwa has hit the ground running since officially becoming a ZIFA presidential candidate, on Monday when he paid his registration fee.
There are no other candidates who have officially entered the race yet, although there are strong indications that former Dynamos chairman and ex-Warriors fitness trainer Temba Mliswa, incumbent Premier Soccer League boss Twine Phiri, former Warriors right-back James Takavada and 2014 losing ZIFA presidential candidate Trevor Carelse-Juul will battle for the right to lead the national association.
Having officially registered as a candidate, Chiyangwa has wasted no time trying to charm the game's key stakeholders.
Yesterday he took his whirlwind campaign trail to Bulawayo, Masvingo and Chiredzi as he begun interacting with councillors and the game's other stakeholders.
Former ZIFA vice president Sibanda confirmed he had held a meeting with Chiyangwa after which he resolved to back the flamboyant Harare businessman.
Sibanda, who was deputy to Cuthbert Dube on the ZIFA board before he was suspended, has also strongly hinted that he would seek a fresh mandate to serve on the association's executive committee.
But after having resolved to throw his weight behind Chiyangwa yesterday, Sibanda now looks to contest for the association's vice president's post.
It is Sibanda's argument too that he never really got a chance to execute his role as Dube's deputy largely because of clashes with ZIFA chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze.
Sibanda said he had bought into the gospel that Chiyangwa has been preaching, that of unlocking the value in football and driving the capitalisation programme for ZIFA in which he has launched an audacious bid to turn around the cash-strapped association's fortunes before 2018.
"I met Dr Chiyangwa in Bulawayo this morning and he was talking about his candidature and I felt he made a lot of sense in the vision that he has for our football. I will definitely support him. He is also the only candidate who has come to me but I must also say the onus rests with the councillors who I respect so much," Sibanda said.
Sibanda also said he had been charmed by the analogies that Chiyangwa drew between South African Football Association president Danny Jordan, veteran South African politician and businessman Tokyo Sexwale and himself.
Former South African cabinet minister and African National Congress member Sexwale has thrown his name for the FIFA presidency.
"He spoke about how Danny Jordan has managed to steer SAFA despite being a businessman and a Mayor and the fact that Sexwale has a strong political background and is also a businessman but they are both into football and holding key positions in the game," Sibanda said.
Chiyangwa reckoned that Sibanda should come in as his deputy in the ZIFA election race, arguing that the former players' agent "was not given enough time on the last board".
"I chose him (Sibanda) because he was never given a chance on the previous board and I believe he has the potential and capacity to do well and he is going to be my running mate," Chiyangwa said.
It also emerged that Chiyangwa's gospel of unlocking the business value of football has charmed a number of the councillors and stakeholders he has met so far.
It is the Harare businessman's contention that that football should take its place as a big industry in the country that should contribute to the Gross Domestic Product.
"Football is now a billion dollar industry in Europe. It has become a major employer globally and we want that to happen to our football and it is very possible to do that.
"In fact Zimbabwe has the potential to even attract a lot of talented foreign players that can help to give a competitive edge to our leagues," Chiyangwa said.
Chiyangwa also insisted that he had felt compelled to throw his name into the ZIFA presidential race in order to play his part in rescuing the situation in the game.
Source - the herald
