By Sports Reporter
THE guessing game on who will become the nextZimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) president will finally come to an end thisSunday when the local football governing body’s assembly meets to elect a new board that will serve a four-year term.
Incumbent president, Philip Chiyangwa seeking a full term at the helm of Zimbabwean football after initially being elected to complete Cuthbert Dube’s term after the latter was forced to step down in 2015under pressure from the Zifa assembly.
Chiyangwa will tussle for the most influential post in Zimbabwean football with former Zifa board member, Felton Kamambo, who survived spirited efforts to bar him from contesting the elections.
With Kamambo and Chiyangwa the only candidates vying for the top post, Zifa’s deputy president Omega Sibanda and former Southern Region chairperson Gift Banda will tussle for the vice-president’s post.
Six candidates, Sugar Chagonda, MlungisiMoyo, Chamu Chiwanza, Stanley Chapeta, Philemon Machana and Brighton Malandule will be vying for the four slots on the Zifa board.
The main focus will however, be on the battle for the Zifa presidency.
Chiyangwa, who embarked on an extravagant campaign in 2015, has taken a more reserved approach this time around and has throughout the campaign refused to speak the media on his chances.
“I’m not speaking to the media about the elections. I will only talk on Sunday after the elections,” Chiyangwa toldNewZimbabwe.com on Saturday.
The results of elections will have a ripple effect on Chiyangwa as a defeat today will see him lose the Cosafa presidency and his role at the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
In stark contrast to Chiyangwa’s approach to the polls, his rival Kamambo has been the more vocal since being given a lifeline by Fifa following attempts to bar him from contesting in the elections.
Kamambo said he has done his homework and expressed confidence he would defeat Chiyangwa in tomorrow’s elections.
“We have done our homework and we’re expecting a comfortable victory. The football stakeholders are not happy with the way the Zifa leadership has been managing the game and they have embraced our vision. I’m very confident of beating Chiyangwa,” Kamambo said.
The former Mhangura player worked under Chiyangwa’s stewardship in the board from 2015 until February this year before he quit the executive committee, arguing that the Zifa board’s term of office had lapsed.
The Zifa board elections will be monitored by the Fifa executive committee member and Malawi Football Association presidentWalter Nyamilandu, who is accompanied by two other Fifa officials Luca Nicola and Solomon Mudege.
