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DIFFERENT BALL GAME AHEAD: Tsholotsho FC players and supporters celebrate the club’s promotion into the Premier Soccer League

Lovemore Dube Sports Editor
FORMER Zifa vice-president Tendai Madzorera has called on local football clubs to be more professional and avoid dragging the name of the game into disrepute.

Madzorera who had a successful stint as AmaZulu secretary-general before rising to roles in the Premiership and Zifa, said the game has potential to grow in Zimbabwe but all that depends on how clubs especially those in the professional ranks conduct themselves.

The Castle Lager Premiership is the country’s top football brand.

“We should be more professional in the administration of our football. We want to see systems that are working elsewhere adopted for better practices that add value to the game,” said Madzorera.

The former Zifa vice-president said incidents of players not turning up for training because of wage disputes were harming the game.

In line with club licensing, clubs should at the beginning of the year, come up with budgets and concrete plans for the remainder of the year, he said.

“There are so many incidents of players at clubs not turning up for training because they have not been paid. This affects the image of the club and football, such things should be avoided as we expect clubs to take a more professional approach to their day-to-day activities,” said Madzorera.

He said the success of any football team depends on a strong playing staff, technical team and a good executive’s chemistry.

Madzorera had words of advice for newly promoted Premiership clubs.

Whawha, Flame Lily, Young Buffaloes and Tsholotsho were promoted to the elite league.

“It’s common practice for new teams to buy players. There is a need to identify weak points and bring in new players to strengthen the team, it should not be just buying for the sake of discarding players,” said Madzorera.

He said the Premiership would be a different ball game and the teams would have to up their game to survive.

Madzorera had lots of praises for ZPC Kariba who came close to winning the championship this season. It was their first time playing in the Premiership and they went into the market extensively to buy experienced players.

“At the beginning of the season they seem to have identified their weak points and got the right players. They fought for honours until the last minute which was good,” said Madzorera.

The veteran football administrator said it was disturbing to find some teams still using undesignated entry points.

Madzorera said: “That is not good for the image of the game.”

But Madzorera said the only way forward for the game and the league was better practices.