WITH only three days in office, newly elected Zifa president Philip Chiyangwa has granted himself three weeks leave, entrusting the affairs of the troubled soccer governing body to his vice, Omega Sibanda.
The property tycoon also ordered an AGM for next year within the Premier Soccer League, a Zifa affiliate member, a move which could see current PSL chair and Caps United co-owner Twine Phiri relinquishing his Zifa board seat to Chiyangwa's campaign manager Farai Jere.
With 80 per cent share-holding, Jere owns a controlling stake at Caps United.
Speaking soon after chairing his first board meeting since becoming Zifa boss, Chiyangwa took time to introduce his new board members to the media and proceeded to unveil a raft of measures he said were intended to remedy the deteriorating affairs of Zifa.
“I want to start with my vice president who with immediate effect would be acting president as I am going on leave forthwith,” he said.
“I would be back towards the end of December; I am sure a lot of you want to play soccer in 2022. So I am going around to try and do some fund raising to pay Tom Saintfiet (former Warriors coach) and compete in 2022.”
Fifa has threatened to ban Zimbabwe from taking part in the 2022 soccer world cup qualifies if Zifa failed to pay Saintfiet his dues.
Chiyangwa said his board has also ordered an audit into the Zifa books to ascertain how indebted the association was.
“We have resolved as a board that we are going to appoint KPMG to carry out a forensic audit forthwith in order for us to understand and to be able to be educated on the debts besetting Zifa,” said the Zanu PF Central Committee member.
“We have also resolved that immediately after receipt of the audit report, we will call the police to read it with us so that we are sure there was no chicanery in the numbers that are there.”
Turning to the PSL, Chiyangwa said his board has resolved to rescind Phiri’s election as PSL boss because he was a junior partner in the Caps United shareholding structure.
Phiri was still months into being elected PSL chair.
“There have been changes at Caps where the previous chairman emanated from in that Caps United football club has now been acquired by another person and he controls Caps.
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