The Zimbabwe Independent
By Kevin Mapasure
24 August 2012
Troubled Zifa will have to find funds elsewhere to host Angola and the subsequent Warriors trip to Luanda for the 2013 Afcon qualifier as government will not be involved.
The desperate football governing body, reeling from the embarrassment of an abortive Under-20 trip to Angola for a second leg match of the youth tournament qualifier recently, again requested government to help fund the upcoming contest with the first leg on September 8 in Harare.
Sports minister David Coltart confirmed in an interview with IndependentSport that Zifa, through the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC), pleaded for financial backup particularly for the Angola tie, but cast doubts over the availability of funds.
“It is correct that they requested for some funding through the SRC, but as things stand in the ministry we cannot even fund educational running expenses; education has not received any funding for its operations such that for football, it’s hard to say they will receive such funds,†said Coltart. “We have had meetings with treasury and I can say it is up to treasury at the end of the day.â€
Zifa received US$90 000 from its parent ministry to pay some of its debts at a lodging where players are accommodated during camp.
Presently another junior team, the Under-17 national team which is due to play Mozambique, has failed to go into camp with players having to train from home while some have been accommodated at the homes of technical team members.
The team is training at the bumpy Zimbabwe grounds, a facility that is way below standard thus putting players at high risk of injuries ahead of the important match, if at all it is played.
However focus is on the Angola match and after humiliation during their last camp when players were at one stage locked out of the lodgings due to non-payment, hope is that arrangements will be smooth this time so the team can concentrate on the important match.
Coltart is not amused by Zifa’s reluctance to hold an Indaba with his ministry and other football stakeholders to discuss financial issues.
Warriors coach Rahman Gumbo has named a 26-man squad for the first leg tie which includes striker knowledge Musona who is on record as having quit international football until match fixing allegations against him are put to rest.
Zifa has not yielded to any of his demands which also include an apology.
Also in is Quincy Antipas who had announced retirement from international football after struggling for opportunities.
But the level of Zimbabwe’s desperation was shown in the recalling of former Caps striker Mike Temwanjira, based in Romania.
Gumbo is set to have another strikers’ headache as was the case when the team lost to Guinea and drew with Mozambique in World Cup qualifiers in which the front men drew blanks.
Takesure Chinyama has been idle since his move to Orlando Pirates from Dynamos while Donald Ngoma of FC Platinum has only just returned after a long injury lay-off.