The ManicaPost
Fungayi Munyoro Sports Correspondent
ZIFA Manicaland vice-chairman, Gift Mapinda is now the new Mutare Junior League chairman after ZIFA took charge of the junior league which has been running independently for many years.
ZIFA Manicaland held elections last Sunday at the ZIFA Offices.
Mapinda who has been in office for two terms will be deputised by Sheckon Stars director, Brian Mukunga. Mutare Boys’ High teacher, Joseph Chaza returned his post as the league’s secretary, while Clap Murato was voted in as the fixtures secretary.
Farai Musariyarwa has also returned his post as the board member development.
Jawett Pedzeni is the new treasurer. Mapinda replaced Themba Ngwenya.
Speaking after the elections, Mapinda said new structures were already in place including the training of junior league coaches.
“I am not new to football in the province. It is my honour and pleasure to run the junior league. We have put up new structures and we hope to develop junior soccer players in our province including coming up with a strong team for the Zimbabwe National Youth Games.
We will also work hard to train and develop our couches.
We hope to have well trained coaches and we will have many coaching clinics to equip them with the required skills.
This is a new beginning for us and I urge all board members to unite and support each other so that we take the game to new levels. We will also have proper registration of players so that there will not be any confusion,” he said.
Manicaland ZIFA administrator, Kundai Makwarise, said as ZIFA, the move would help them to have a proper database of players and clubs.
“As ZIFA, this move will help us have a proper database of each and every player in our province.
We have never been involved in the day to day running of junior football in the province.
We have been concentrating much on Division Two and Three whether at district or at provincial level.
This time around we need to have a direct link with the junior league. We had our elections on April 9. We elected the board that will run the league.
“We had agreed that the chair of this league will be the board member development, David Chinenere who is based in Chipinge.
By virtue of geographic distance, he cannot do it from Chipinge. We found Mapinda to be the right person since he resides in Mutare.
The league has been running smoothly, but we have been receiving complaints from various clubs who were losing their players to big clubs without being paid anything. So as ZIFA, we are saying all junior players will be properly registered and whoever is interested in any player will be referred to the owners.
“We have not been monitoring the players. We will now closely monitor them and by creating Division One, Two and Three leagues we are actually creating a platform where they can play and market themselves,” said Makwarise.
Junior League coaches have embraced the new developments.
La Sakubva coach, Sicho Masachi, said as clubs, they would benefit greatly from this.
“I think it is a good idea. Movement of players from junior clubs to senior clubs will be controlled since all the paper work will be done at the ZIFA Office.
Most managers and senior clubs are just taking our players without paying anything to us. They are just benefiting from our sweat and investments.
“ZIFA will also benefit from this because there is a certain percentage of money that they will pocket when a player is sold to another club,” he said.
“It was long overdue. ZIFA had neglected us for a long time and they have been concentrating with Division One, Two and Three. We are yet to see the benefits of them taking over. I think with the few resources we had, the committee that was there did very well. Over the years, ZIFA never supported us, so I think that is what they want to fix now,” said Baron FC youthful gaffer, Brian Mukundu.
It remains to be seen what Mapinda and his board will do to bring development to the country’s number one sport.
