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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
ASPIRING Zifa board member Phillemon Machana has taken his campaign to Bulawayo where he will meet some of the councillors who will vote in the December 5 elections. Machana, who is backed by the Women’s Soccer and is the chairperson of Guruve’s COSA FC who are in the women’s national league, described himself as a team player.

He said he does not have a running mate and was coming to serve football, a sport which is dear to him.

Speaking at the Bulawayo Press Club on Friday, Machana, who was flanked by the acting Women’s Soccer chairperson Elizabeth Langa, challenged the 58 councillors who will cast their votes to “critically assess candidates” who are seeking office.

“What councillors should do is to make sure that those seeking board positions must hold the necessary drive, qualifications and expertise to develop our game. I urge them to look beyond the top position of president in trying to choose the best team to take our football to better days. No one should be allowed to get into the board because of a perceived allegiance to a popular presidential candidate. I trust that the councillors will vote individuals on merit,” Machana said.

If voted into office, Machana said he will work with like-minded board members to clear the Zifa debt and come up with immediate plans of securing adequate funding for the embattled association.

He said efforts will be made to set up adequate internal controls and procedures to plug financial leakages at Zifa.

Machana, who was a member of the Tshinga Dube-led Zifa Trust, an organ that was tasked with raising funds for the association, said they would lobby the government and the local authorities for a reduction of the SRC levy and stadia hire.

He said he would also push for unity and reconciliation.

“Having a functioning board that wants to achieve synergies is what I’m advocating for. With a credible board made up of people of repute, we’ll be able to clean Zifa. If we’re to achieve great things, people mustn’t go into the board specifically to do witch-hunting at the expense of taking the game forward,” said Machana, who also served as the chief executive officer for the 2010 Harare Province National Youth Games.

Ten candidates are contesting for the four available board seats.

Former referee Wilfred Mukuna, Joseph Musasiri of beach soccer, Caps United’s Lewis Uriri, Piraishe Mabena of the Eastern Region, Beadle Gwasira from defunct Lengthens FC, Munyaka Jackson, former Warriors midfielder Edzai Kasinauyo, Zifa Central Region chairman Felton Kamambo, Southern Region chairman Musa Mandaza and Machana are battling it out for the four board seats.