Rushwaya new ZIFA CEO

Rushwaya new ZIFA CEO

RUSHWAYA

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By Nkanyiso Moyo

ZIFA has appointed its third acting chief executive officer in a year after Warriors Fundraising Committee co-ordinator Henrietta Rushwaya took over the post on Wednesday, in the process becoming the first woman to hold the post.

She replaces Oliver Kanhukamwe, the association’s technical director, who had been thrust in that position previously held by Jonathan Mashingaidze, who was ousted in the wake of an alleged World Cup ticket scandal that rocked ZIFA last year.

Rushwaya has a Masters Degree in Sport Science from the Norwegian University of Sport.

ZIFA chairman Wellington Nyatanga confirmed her appointment in a letter this week.

"The ZIFA chairman and board are pleased to appoint you as the acting chief executive officer and national teams’ coordinator of the Zimbabwe Football Association with effect from 1st March 2007.

"The terms and conditions of service will be availed to you in due course. We wish you success in your new endeavours," wrote Nyatanga.

Rushwaya was seen in the company of the ZIFA officials last Sunday after the Highlanders-Mwana Africa Charity Shield match in Bulawayo.

She will continue to head the fundraising for all national teams, although it will take her some time to clean-up the image of the association.

In its book of failures, ZIFA has the Under 20 Trip of Shame of December last year in South Africa when board member, Regis Dzenga, abandoned the team without allowances.

In February, ZIFA threatened to report Highlanders to FIFA after the champions refused to release players for the Olympic qualifier against Cameroon, as they were preparing for their Champions League preliminary round clash away to Pamplemousse in Mauritius.

On the day of the match against Cameroon, ZIFA printed just 8 000 tickets and opened eight gates, resulting in a near stampede that saw almost 25 000 people going in for free.

Now ZIFA has to pay a certain percentage of the gate takings to FIFA in foreign currency and using estimates.

The national association also failed to send the Warriors to play in an international friendly match against Lesotho on February 7, as they could not raise US$33 000 for airfares. They appealed to the Fundraising Committee, ironically headed by Rushwaya, but there was no money.

Now Rushwaya finds herself in the hot seat and the nation waits to see the kind of organisation she will put for the Warriors-Morocco Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Rufaro Stadium on 24 March.
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