Story by The Page
Johhanesburg: THE local sitcom called Zifa Normalization Committee, in charge of football affairs since last July, offered their latest madness, when a day before the crucial World Cup 2026 qualifier against Lesotho, the Warriors do not have a playing kit, The Page can reveal.
After trooping into Johannesburg early this week, the Warriors have been preparing under the watchful eyes of Jairosi Tapera, but have no kit after the one, bought by Marshall Gore, the Solomon Mudege choice for Zifa president, could not fit and was condemned.
It was one size, but only for junior football, leaving Zifa scurrying around for replacement kit, which by this morning, had not been secured.
The kit, the most important equipment for any football team, was sadly entrusted into the hands of a novice, Kudzi Chitima, who is sadly so flat that he can’t think beyond the black shades he now dons, even indoors, as if he is Paul Matavire (MHSRIP)
So embarrassing is the team kit situation that team manager Clemence Matawu, who Chitima and Yvonne Manwa had shut out of the team, is now on his way to Johannesburg, albeit so late to change anything, as everything had gone so south under the crook, Simba Gochera, the stand in team manager.
Matawu, the smart young team manager had been elbowed out and it had to take Rose Mugadza protest for the former soccer star of the year to make the trip to South Africa today.
In fact, Mugadza, to her credit refused to travel to Johannesburg, as everyone else in the NC, if Matawu is not part of the squad.
Instead she ordered that, in place of her, Matawu should take over her place on the plane and the boarding for the duration of the qualifiers.
Well played Mugadza, but did we need all that madness? How can a whole FA drop a team manager and second a crook like Gochera who have no clue about the job? Simply because Chitima doesn’t like Matawu for his professionalism?
How can a whole FA allow Gore to dictate things to an extent of entrusting the kit into his hands when we all know that the guy is just a glorified fan, who is trying his hand on anything?
Now here we are, we do not have a kit for the boys on the eve of the match and Gore is busy with an entourage of targeted football councillors to try and influence the pending elections.
Not only that, do you know that Sunday Chidzambwa, who was officially appointed as technical adviser to Tapera and crew is also doubling up as head of delegation for these qualifiers?
Honestly, what are we telling the whole world? That we are so short of capable people that we burden one person with duties of two?
Will Chidzambwa be able to handle the diplomatic requirements of being an HOD and still offer assistance to Tapera and crew?
Is this how bad we are as an FA, that it worth it to make such calls yet there are a lot of able and available people?
Meanwhile the controversial Mistry Chipere has been all over the place telling people that he was the one who engineered for Tawanda Chirewa’s passport after Manwa, the CEO, when approached for assistance, refused.
Chipere, like Gore are known crooks who ingratiate themselves with the British Brigades, sometimes getting bribes from the desperate boys, to be considered for national team.
While Gore is now bidding to become Zifa president, Chipere is still trying to control the narrative with the British Brigade and has even engineered that one of the parents of a player in the squad buys a ticket for a named journalist to travel, ostensibly to offer PR services.
But it has emerged that the passport for Chirewa was facilitated by officials from the home affairs Department and not Chipere, who has been getting plaudits in WhatsApp groups.
While all this chaos is going on unabated, the Warriors are preparing for the clash against Lesotho tomorrow before engaging South Africa on Tuesday
Story originally done by The Page an investigative football blog founded by veteran sports journalist Hopewell Chizuzu
