Government to try to assist Zim teams

Herald
6 March 2010
By Augustine Hwata

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart has said the Government will do everything in its power to ensure that Zimbabwe’s four representatives in the Confederation of Football club competitions do not pull out because of financial constraints.

Gunners, Dynamos, CAPS United and Lengthens held a crisis meeting with Zifa on Wednesday where they sent out a big SOS message saying that failure to get help may see them pulling out.

The clubs also took their begging bowl to the Sports Commission and the Ministry of Education, saying they needed at least US$700 000 among them to survive the early stages.

Coltart said he was aware of the backlash from Caf in fines as well as the embarrassment it could bring to the nation.

He said a withdrawal would be detrimental to the efforts being made to develop football in Zimbabwe.

Gunners are set to meet Egyptians giants Al-Ahly in the first round on March 20 in the Champions League after pulling off a 6-1 aggregate win over FC Mafunzo of Zanzibar in the preliminary round.

Dynamos travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo to play FC Lupopo after getting a bye in the preliminary round of the same competition.

Lengthens host Simba Stars on March 19 in the Caf Confederations following a 2-1 win over AS Adema of Madagascar while CAPS United laboured to sail past Mbabane Highlanders of Swaziland.

The Harare giants won 8-7 on penalties in Mbabane after both legs had ended in 1-0 win for the hosting team in each leg.

Responding to questions from journalists on the plight of the clubs, Coltart said he might approach Minister of Finance, Tendai Biti, on the possibility of a short-term solution and then put in a place a long-term plan.

Coltart was the guest of honour at Rufaro on Wednesday where he took time to address the Warriors players and their technical team after a 2-1 win over Malawi in an international friendly.

“I have been told about the issue raised by the clubs over finances. Football has a great following in Zimbabwe and the world over,” said Coltart, a devoted fan of Scottish giants Glasgow Celtic.

“Here, people pay real money, hard currency ranging from US$3 for rest of the ground, US$5 and US$10 for VIP.

“This shows that football as a business can be able to generate money to pay for itself but this has not been happening,” he said.

Coltart said the onus was on Zifa to make the game attractive and show transparency so that they get corporate support.

“Faced with this situation, it’s best that we get the teams playing because national pride is at stake here,” he said.

The Government, Coltart said, was hard pressed by other commitments that needed money and it would be hard to share the several activities from the same small cake.

“Right now I have to run the education sector with just one dollar per child from the budget and this is far from being enough,” he said.

Coltart said he hopes to get a positive response from Biti.

“We could approach the Ministry of Finance as we have done before ahead of the Cosafa Senior Challenge,” he said.

Biti unveiled US$1 million for the hosting of the Cosafa event last year.

“We could talk to Biti and see if he can find the resources but if he does, I know that they will be certain stringent conditions attached to the funds.

“I also call on Zifa to make football an attractive product for corporate investment,” he said.

In his address to the Warriors, he said his ministry was on a path to revive all sports in Zimbabwe.

“We are in a transition period in our country to rebuild sport.

“We want to revitalise all sporting disciplines football included,” he said.

The Warriors, Coltart said, should be regarded as regulars at Nations Cup finals after having been to the 2004 and 2006 editions.

He said the new benchmark should be qualifying for the World Cup while maintaining a regular place and doing well at the Nations Cup finals.

But Coltart lamented that this has not been the case for the Warriors.

“I look at football and say we should qualify for every Nations Cup and then get to the World Cup,” he said.

“Do not lose heart after losing. The Zimbabwe Cricket side lost three wickets for no runs and many people thought that they had lost the game but the players dug deep and annihilated the West Indies.

“That’s the same never-say-die spirit needed to transform sport. I hope you have the same feeling when you wear a shirt with a Zimbabwean flag right on your chest.

“The flag is on your heart and every second you are on the field remember you are playing for your country.”