Chiyangwa hails his backers
ZIFA president Philip Chiyangwa says he will always stand by those who have helped him handle the tough task of turning around the fortunes of Zimbabwe football and anyone who doesn’t like his choice of sponsors should let their money do the talking instead of just tarnishing his backers.
The Harare property tycoon said it was unfortunate that there were some people who had turned into specialists in condemning anyone who dares help Zimbabwean football while, at the same time, they don’t have alternatives of how the game can be lifted from its quagmire.
Chiyangwa was speaking in the capital on Wednesday when he unveiled the ZIFA awards which will see a galaxy of local football legends, outstanding players, referees, coaches and sponsors being honoured at a star-studded function in Harare on November 11.
The ZIFA awards are set to be an annual event and, unlike the Soccer Stars of the Year awards, they do not honour the players and coaches who would have excelled in the domestic Premiership during the year, but Zimbabwean stars from around the world who would have made a huge impact in the game.
ZIFA vice president Omega Sibanda is heading a committee which is organising the awards and they will run for an initial three-year period and will then be reviewed to make them more exciting and bring in other categories.
Legendary footballers like George Shaya, Ernest Kamba, Posani Sibanda, Bruce Grobbelaar and Barry Daka are set to be honoured for the role they played in the game and there will be financial incentives to accompany the awards.
The organising committee also expects to invite football legends from around the world to grace the awards ceremony.
Chiyangwa said it was unfortunate that there was a culture in domestic football, in particular, and Zimbabwe, in general, for some people to always go on a warpath to tarnish the images of those who dare give a helping hand to their nation.
“When I became ZIFA president, I wasn’t feeling well and I had to take a break, but there was the issue of this country facing the possibility of being banned from the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in the event that we failed to pay Tom Saintfiet and the deadline was getting closer,’’ said Chiyangwa.
“Even though I was supposed to be taking a rest, on the recommendation from my doctors, I said to myself it would be unacceptable for the Warriors not to play in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers just because we owed Saintfiet about $180 000.
“I found my sponsor Wicknell Chivayo and that money was paid and the whole issue was closed, but no sooner had we done that did the attacks on Wicknell start, from all angles, and I said to myself, if these people really care for our nation, where were they when our country was being kicked out of the World Cup just because we could not pay $60 000 to Valinhos?
“Suddenly, the same people who went underground when the Valinhos money was needed and couldn’t be raised, were now talking a lot and saying all bad things about us when we had paid $180 000 for Saintfiet in just one month after coming into office.
“I learnt from that, I told myself that I will always stand by those who help me drive football forward, no matter what some people say, because these guys are doing it for their nation and they need to be praised because they could have been using their money for their families.”
Chiyangwa said he will always stand by Prophet Walter Magaya who has become the biggest individual sponsor of ZIFA activities, including bankrolling the Warriors training camps at his Yadah Hotel complex and providing a training ground for the national team.
The ZIFA president has been featuring in a video recording in which he leads the way in praising the way the prophet has been helping domestic football.
The video also features messages from a number of Warriors, including Marvelous Nakamba, Danny Phiri and Tendai Ndoro.
“It’s beautiful, it’s smart, it’s clean 100 percent,” Chiyangwa says in that video in reference to the Yadah Hotel complex.
“It’s so beautiful, the surroundings are immaculate you cannot beat what I have seen here.
“This is the vision of Prophet Magaya. I have had an opportunity to take a beautiful tour, I have been overwhelmed with the way that the man has a vision and that’s what anointing is all about.
“Putting up such a classic thing, I have to applaud the prophet for such beautiful workmanship. Thank you prophet for the gesture of simply saying my brother can they (the Warriors) come to the Yadah Hotel, let me tell you, from their testimonies, they have said nothing beats this hotel.”
Chiyangwa said he will always support Magaya because he considered him a true friend of football who cares for the future of the game, the success of the Warriors which usually translate to a very happy nation.
“He is my brother and I will always support him because he delivers and he is driven by not what is good for him but what is good for the country and he has shown it now and again with his passion for our football and country.”