Omega Sibanda

Omega Sibanda

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
FOLLOWING turbulent relations between Zifa and the Premier Soccer League, Zifa vice-president Omega Sibanda has called on football leaders to unite for the good of football.

Relations between Zifa and the PSL went frosty in October, as some councillors reneged on the 2015 resolution to drop two teams from the topflight and promote two.

The 2015 congress had agreed that the PSL would stage promotional play-offs involving winners of Zifa’s four regional leagues to determine the two teams to take up the PSL slots for the 2017 season, only for the Zifa councillors to shift goalposts at the 11th hour.

In an interview with Tymon Makina on Skyz Metro FM, Sibanda said squabbles are not good for football.

He said only the Zifa congress can put to an end the pending relegation and promotional matter, which PSL has already reported to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“We want people who will solve the issue of playoffs and relegation without bringing silly things into all this. This issue is being solved amicably by the Zifa executive headed by Chiyangwa. There’s an EGM coming very soon to put finality to this issue. To me there’s no issue, it’s an issue to be solved by the congress, neither the president nor myself can solve it that’s why were calling for EGM. However, proposals have been thrown in like two out and four in. These are proposals that I feel people can work with rather than say we want two in two out. When do we do playoffs because contracts of players expire 31 December and we must take that into account.

“All that we need is people who are progressive, people who will think outside the box and look at the fans, look at the country at large. We can’t have people holding the country at ransom because of personal egos and people who keep grudges for 13 years. We don’t need that, we need people who are progressive, people who will bring in ideas,” said Sibanda.

He challenged administrators to put their differences aside for the good of football.

“Unity of purpose is the key to success. The squabbles and perceived thinking by others that they are hated or they are what is not correct for football. It is very poor, we don’t want such administrators. Bury your past and please don’t bring your past to this environment we are in. The moment you mention that 2003 and 2004 there was an issue, you must solve that outside the football family. The two of us shouldn’t hold football at ransom. What we want is to find football operating in a smooth environment without those ones who think they are bigger than others. We should respect each other. If you’re a CEO stay in office and implement what you’re given, don’t challenge the leaders, that’s the worst you can do.

“The issue of trying to bring personal egos, going loud in the newspapers is poor, that’s bad corporate governance. And the issue of bringing our sponsors into this forum is wrong, let us talk to our sponsors and embrace them the way Philip can do it, the way Omega can do it, the way the PSL and the regions can do it. Let’s speak the same language not the hate language.

What do we get with hate language, we can’t divide people because of egos. We’re football leaders we must be one, we must be united for a common purpose. If there’s something wrong lets close the doors and solve the problem instead of going to newspapers and make noise. Let’s not point fingers at others because more fingers are pointing at us for doing wrong things. Let us do the right things in football, you’ll see Zimbabwe progressing,” said Sibanda.

— @ZililoR

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