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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
Former Premier Soccer League (PSL) chairman Twine Phiri has reportedly expressed his desire to run for the Zifa presidency next year.

Phiri has already chosen his running mate, former Highlanders Football Club chairman and a respected administrator Peter Dube. Dube is also a former PSL chairman.

Phiri was the country’s flagship football league’s chairman for six years, from 2010 to 2016 when he was deemed to be ineligible to lead PSL clubs as he was no longer chairman of Caps United. Harare businessman Farai Jere, who was brought to the club by Phiri, had become the majority shareholder with 80 percent rights.

“I will get back to you in due course, just give me time,” said Phiri when contacted for comment.

During his tenure as PSL boss, Phiri brought in a number of sponsors like Delta Beverages, NetOne, BancABC, Mbada Diamonds, Pick ‘n’ Pay, SuperSport and Nestle. Only Delta Beverages are still with the league.

Phiri was also instrumental in spreading football to all corners of the country by staging cup tournaments in areas such as Triangle, Gwanda, Chiredzi, Kariba and Beitbridge, which by then had no PSL teams.

Meanwhile, Chronicle Sport has it on good authority too that Phiri was in Bulawayo recently and held a meeting with his preferred running mate Dube who reportedly entertained the proposal to run for vice presidency. Coincidentally, the duo also worked together at the PSL when Phiri was chairman while Dube was his deputy.

When contacted, Dube said while it was always an honour to serve football and the community, he was not involved much in active football except as a Highlanders board member.

“At the moment I am not much involved with football except for my small contribution at the big club (Highlanders).

However, it is always an honour to serve football and the community at large particularly if you have the backing of numerous stakeholders whom for now I have not been in touch with on the subject. In fact I am not aware of any vacancies at Zifa at the moment,” said Dube.

The Zifa elections will be held next year and president Felton Kamambo has not indicated whether or not he will seek re-election. Ambitious executive committee member Phillimon Machana is believed to be eyeing to challenge Kamambo.