FORMER Dynamos vice-chairman Vincent Chawonza is seeking elevation from club level to national football and has declared his interest to contest for the Zifa board member development.
Chawonza joins a growing list of football administrators who have declared their interests in Zifa inluding Alois Bunjira, Ellen Chiwenga, Wangu Mazodze, and Marshal Gore who are all going for the top post in the football association, that of Zifa president.
In fact, the former Dynamos official is the first to come out of his shell to declare his interest to contest one of the lesser important roles in Zifa compared to that of the president.
The Zifa elections will be held before December 31, 2024, with the new team officially taking over on February 1, 2025, and January, 2025, set for a familiarisation process.
Speaking about his future after Dynamos, Chawonza says he is saddened that the majority of clubs in Zimbabwe do not have junior teams — something, which he says — has contributed to less and less fresh talent coming out of the Zimbabwean game.
On that premise, he says his first port of call would be to see to it that all Division One and Premier Soccr League clubs introduce junior men and women's teams which would play on league basis on days their senior teams play.
"We are lagging behind because we have abandoned junior football development. Given the chance, I would want to see all clubs introduce junior men and women's teams who would play as curtain raisers but on league basis when their senior teams play," he said.
He added, " Those teams, which are relegated will go down with their junior teams and those promoted will come up with theirs. That will help in identifying new talent in both men and women's football," said Chawonza.
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The former Dynamos official said it was also important for Zifa to reintroduce provincial select sides for both the senior, junior, and women's teams to widen selection for all national teams.
"Inter-provincial competitions will provide the national team coaches with a wide base to pick up talented players from all the four parts of the country rather than those in the PSL only. We used to have such competitions but they just disappeared," said Chawonza.
The former Dynamos official said he wanted to revive junior football at Dembare by making sure that a small percentage of the team's gate takings went towards the team's junior teams but that met stiff resistance from some quarters within the club.
"At first, things went on well, but as time went on, there was a very very strong resistance. Issues to do with money at Dynamos are a hot potato," laughed off Chawonza.
Chamu Chiwanza, who is now the chairman of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sport is the last elected Zifa board member development.
