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Petros Kausiyo, Harare Bureau
ZIFA are to engage Government over the staging of the friendlies involving Zimbabwe and Zambia and the game featuring the Warriors against Bafana Bafana legends to celebrate the rise of President Emmerson Mnangagwa to become the country’s leader.

The Warriors are expected to square off against Chipolopolo in an encounter that would be preceded by the clash between yesteryear stars from South Africa and Zimbabwe at the National Sports Stadium on December 23.

The country would have also commemorated the National Unity Day a day before Zimbabweans converge at the National Sports Stadium for the two high-profile games.

Given the magnitude and the significance of the matches, Zifa believe they would, as they did earlier this month, engage with the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture over the staging of the games.

Zifa board member finance Philemon Machana said yesterday although it was their role to organise and preside over matches, the Association would stand guided by the State given the fact the matches were also being used to celebrate President Mnangagwa’s rise to lead the country.

Machana said Zifa had also taken heed of the call President Mnangagwa made during his inauguration which included the need for peace and unity and the revival of the economy and insisted that football was ready to play its part in the development of the country.

The Zifa finance guru said Government had already set in motion a programme aimed at boosting sports tourism through the successful staging of the exhibition match between the Barcelona Legends and their Warriors counterparts, which drew a large multi-racial crowd at the giant stadium.

Machana, however, scoffed at some “misguided suggestions by some people with small minds who have been trying to discredit Zifa’s move to arrange the two fixtures in conjunction with the Government.”

The Zifa treasurer said he was saddened to note there was a deliberate plot by some “people seeking to gain cheap mileage’’ who have undertaken to soil the image of the Association’s president Philip Chiyangwa.

“It is unfortunate that some people are taking advantage of political developments in the country to soil the name of the Zifa and Cosafa president for their ulterior motives.

“Zifa is a multi-cultural and non-tribal organisation for all football enthusiasts and when we get anyone willing to work for football we embrace such brains and one thing that Dr Chiyangwa has done, which all his predecessors at the Association have not done, is attain so much success.

“During his tenure, there has been success on the pitch, qualification for the Afcon, Chan, winning the Cosafa Castle Cup, and reaching the final in the Cosafa Women’s tournament in a short period.

“Whilst the entry of Dr Chiyangwa into the regional and continental bodies should have opened avenues for more people like referees, administrators, technical and even the media to also follow suit, we still have some small-minded people in our midst who are bent on pulling one another down.

“Yes, criticism is accepted and we do take it but it must be constructive and factual and not based on social media. FIFA, CAF and Cosafa must have seen something in him that some in Zimbabwe, blinded by petty jealousies, refuse to acknowledge.

“Religiously or politically I may differ with him but in terms of football we are united and Philip deserves our support and Zifa deserve our collective support and if we try to pull him down, it is Zimbabwe that we are pulling down.’’

Machana said Zifa would not be distracted by negativity and would instead stand guided by the Government on the finer details of the occasion.

A host of the current and former Warriors internationals including Kaitano Tembo, legendary former captain Peter Ndlovu, Benjani Mwaruwari, Edelbert Dinha, Ian Gorowa and Charles Yohane have set base in South Africa after their playing careers and are part of the cast expected to play against the Bafana Bafana legends.

“At the moment everyone’s focus has been on Zimbabwe following developments in the country and that focus has been in positive light and sport being a leader in terms of uniting people we believe that tourism is also one of the key drivers to a quick revival of the economy.

“We would want to also support the challenge set for Zimbabweans by President Mnangagwa in his speech and we believe that as the economy improves sport should be among the drivers and football must take centre stage,” said Machana.

Meanwhile, Chiyangwa has scoffed at rumours doing rounds that he had been arrested.

“News agents are desperate for news that they can even manufacture flagrant lies that defies logic.  They say I was arrested on Saturday, the same day I was in Pretoria watching SuperSport and Mazembe. How is that possible?” he asked rhetorically.

“I am a businessman and football boss. I have never been involved in any chicanery and would not want to justify people’s agendas by delving in such mischief.”

The pirate Voice of America Studio 7 have since embarrassingly pulled down the story from their website after learning that they had peddled fake news.