ZIFA Electoral Committee chairperson Lincoln Mutasa has defended the disqualification of several candidates from running in the elections scheduled for January 25, 2025, arguing that the committee is not introducing new rules but is simply “sticking to the book” in its decision-making.
Farai Jere, Walter Magaya, Themba Mliswa, and Benjani Mwaruwari were disqualified from contesting the ZIFA presidency after failing to meet the eligibility requirements.
Speaking to <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/mutasa-speaks-out-as-jere-backs-down/">Zimpapers Sports Hub</a> on Tuesday, Mutasa explained that the Normalisation Committee, which is acting as the Electoral Committee for these elections, is adhering to the amended ZIFA constitution and the association’s electoral code. He said:
<blockquote>
We have not invented the rules and regulations. As the Electoral Committee, we are just following what the ZIFA Congress wants.
We are implementing the rules given to us by the Congress regarding a lot of issues, including the issue of 5 O’ Levels. We are trying to stick to the book.
</blockquote>
According to Mutasa, those who wish to challenge the disqualification decisions can file their appeals with the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport, in accordance with Article 85(9) of the ZIFA constitution.
The vetting process, which all aspiring candidates underwent, was conducted with the support of the Ethics Committee, chaired by Muchadeyi Masunda.
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ZIFA is having elections soon. Some people were disqualified from running for president because they didn't meet the rules. The committee in charge says they are just following the rules already in place. If the disqualified candidates want to challenge the decision, they can appeal to a special court. The vetting process was done with help from an Ethics Committee. The Electoral Committee is making sure everyone follows the rules for fair elections.

Mutasa Defends ZIFA's Vetting Process

The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has adopted a new constitution that now makes it mandatory for all prospective candidates for its presidency to possess a minimum of five Ordinary Level subjects.
The new constitution was ratified by congress on Friday, 18 October.
In a post-Annual General Meeting press conference, ZIFA Normalisation Committee chairman Lincoln Mutasa said that the new constitution will enable ZIFA elections early next year.
He said candidates for the ZIFA presidency must now have five ‘O’ Levels to ensure qualified leadership. 
Mutasa also encouraged players to balance their football careers with academic pursuits if they aspire to lead ZIFA in the future. He said:
<blockquote>
When one applies for a job, there are certain requirements needed, and we are not looking for star players to head the association. We need people with the requisite knowledge for the job.
</blockquote>
Several names have surfaced as potential candidates for the ZIFA presidency, such as Walter Magaya, Marshall Gore, Ellen Chiwenga, Brighton “Panjap” Ushendibaba, Richard Mazodze, and Martin Kweza.
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ZIFA, the Zimbabwe Football Association, now requires presidential candidates to have at least five O-Level subjects. The new rule was approved in a meeting and will allow elections next year. The chairman of ZIFA encourages players to study as well as play football. This will help ensure that the future leaders of ZIFA are qualified for the job. Many potential candidates have been mentioned for the upcoming elections. This change is to make sure that the people in charge of ZIFA know what they are doing.

ZIFA Presidential Candidates Must Have Five O-Levels

The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) Normalisation Committee has deleted its Monday press statement from its social media pages after the owners of Heart Stadium in Harare, Walter Magaya’s Heart Group, threatened legal action.
In the statement, issued on August 5, the ZIFA Normalisation Committee had sought to explain why Ngezi Platinum Stars and Dynamos would be hosting their respective CAF competition home matches outside of Zimbabwe, despite the availability of the newly-constructed Heart Stadium in Harare’s Waterfalls suburb.
Premier Soccer League (PSL) chairperson Farai Jere was quoted as saying that Heart Stadium had been built per CAF guidelines and stood a good chance of being approved to host international football matches.
However, ZIFA claimed that during preliminary inspections, the Heart Stadium failed to produce a required Stadium Safety and Security Certificate.
The statement also alleged that the stadium lacks a media tribune, a designated area for vulnerable people, and its ablution facilities do not meet standards.
On Tuesday, August 6, the Hearts Group launched a scathing attack against ZIFA Normalisation Committee chairperson Lincoln Mutasa.
The group demanded a retraction from Mutasa and threatened to sue for US$1 million in damages, claiming defamation and “misrepresentations” by the ZIFA official.
Through their lawyer, Admire Rubaya of Rubaya and Chatambudza Attorneys, the Hearts Group accused Mutasa of lying about the status of their stadium.
They believe Mutasa’s comments were intended to deliberately destroy the image of the Heart Stadium, as well as that of the stadium’s owner, Walter Magaya.
Magaya, who also owns the Premier Soccer League (PSL) club Yadah, has been linked to the ZIFA presidency, though he has not yet commented publicly on the matter. Wrote Rubaya:
<blockquote>
Our client was shocked that you claim to have conducted preliminary inspections of the Heart Stadium regarding its suitability to host Ngezi Platinum Stars and Dynamos Football Clubs’ preliminary CAF Competitions fixtures.
It is very unprofessional for you to communicate falsehoods to the nation in the absence of a physical inspection.
It is further perplexing that you claim that our client’s stadium lacks a media tribune yet journalists from all the media houses have never lodged any complaint regards that…
In the event that you fail to retract the defamatory statement as demanded, our client shall proceed to issue summons and claim damages for defamation in the tune of US$1,000,000 without any further notice to you.
</blockquote>
CAF has not approved The Heart Stadium, along with all other stadiums in Zimbabwe because they do not meet its standards.
As a result, Ngezi Platinum Stars are set to host AS Maniema of the Democratic Republic of Congo at the National Heroes Stadium in Zambia, while Dynamos will host ZESCO United of Zambia at the National Stadium in Gaborone, Botswana.
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Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) said Heart Stadium in Harare could not host international matches due to safety concerns. Heart Stadium owners threatened legal action against ZIFA for defamation. ZIFA deleted their statement and apologized. Owners claim ZIFA lied about stadium's condition. CAF has not approved Heart Stadium. Ngezi Platinum Stars and Dynamos will host matches in other countries. Heart Stadium in Zimbabwe does not meet CAF's standards. ZIFA faces legal action and criticism for their statements about the stadium.

ZIFA Retracts Statement On The Heart Stadium After Magaya Threatens Legal Action

Walter Magaya, the owner of the Heart Group which owns the Heart Stadium in Waterfalls, Harare, has threatened to sue ZIFA Normalisation Committee chairperson Lincoln Mutasa.
This comes after ZIFA condemned the stadium as unfit to host international matches.
In a statement on August 5, the ZIFA Normalisation Committee claimed that during preliminary inspections, the Heart Stadium failed to produce a required Stadium Safety and Security Certificate.
The statement also alleged that the stadium lacks a media tribune, a designated area for vulnerable people, and its ablution facilities do not meet standards.
However, through his lawyer Admire Rubaya, Magaya has refuted these claims, accusing Mutasa of having an “insatiable” desire to destroy his football investments.
In a letter of demand dated August 6, the Heart Group stated that Mutasa or ZIFA had never actually inspected the stadium.
The Heart Group has demanded that Mutasa retract his statement or face a US$1 million lawsuit in damages for allegedly lying about the status of their stadium. Part of the letter reads:
<blockquote>
Our client was shocked that you claim to have conducted preliminary inspections of the Heart Stadium regards its suitability to host Ngezi Platinum Stars and Dynamos Football Clubs’ preliminary CAF Competitions Fixtures.
It is very unprofessional for you to communicate falsehoods to the nation in the absence of a physical inspection.
Our client wants you to advise the nation as to when you requested to formally conduct the so-called preliminary inspections specifically to ascertain if our client’s stadium is suitable to host the CAF Competitions Fixtures.
Our client instructs that it never received any formal request from ZIFA regards being had to the alleged preliminary inspection.
Furthermore, it challenges you to provide the nation with that request as well as the invitation and/or confirmation from the Heart Stadium administration authorising you to visit his state-of-the-art stadium for the preliminary inspections.
If you do not produce the same, it simply means that you have misled our football-loving nation.
One wonders why you would stoop so low for purposes of claiming that you had done preliminary inspections yet none have been conducted.
It is our client’s contention that you have an insatiable appetite to destroy our client’s reputation in circumstances where your role is to administer Zimbabwean football to be world-class.
</blockquote>
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Walter Magaya owns the Heart Stadium, but ZIFA said it's not good for international games. Magaya says ZIFA is lying and wants $1 million in damages. ZIFA claimed the stadium is not safe and lacks things like media tribunes and proper toilets. Magaya's lawyer says ZIFA never actually inspected the stadium. Magaya wants ZIFA to show proof of inspection or else he will sue. Magaya thinks ZIFA is trying to ruin his reputation. The dispute is still ongoing.

Magaya Threatens ZIFA With US$1 Million Lawsuit For Condemning The Heart Stadium

Castle Lager Premier Soccer League club Herentals College’s owner Innocent Benza has slammed the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) Normalisation Committee (NC) led by Chairman Lincoln Mutasa for his alleged “lack of interest in and basic knowledge about football”.
Benza, who is also the Member of Parliament for Mutasa Central (ZANU PF), said Mutasa “must do the noble thing and resign for the good of the game”.
He made the remarks after Mutasa, NC member Nyasha Sanyamandwe and ZIFA chief executive officer Yvonne Mapika Manwa appeared before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sports and Recreation on Thursday in Harare.
The trio failed to provide convincing responses to the questions they were asked by the sports committee in line with their line of duty and basic football knowledge.
Mutasa revealed he has yet to attend a local league match one year into office since their appointment by FIFA in July 2023, while Sanyamandwe said she had no prior football experience before her appointment to the NC.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, Benza, who is a member of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sports and Recreation, said Mutasa “must resign” to “save” Zimbabwean football. Said Benza (via <a href="https://nehandaradio.com/2024/07/26/herentals-owner-benza-blasts-zifa-nc-tells-chairman-mutasa-to-resign/">Nehanda Radio</a>):
<blockquote>
The lack of interest in football from someone claiming to be a ZIFA Normalisation Committee chairman, and the lack of knowledge is also worrisome, also the ZIFA committee represented here, lacked the basic knowledge of football.
This is the reason why we are saying he (Mutasa) must do the noble thing and resign for the good of the game.
We are not forcing him to resign but we are saying through his reasoning, he must just hand in his resignation to save Zimbabwean football.
We are lagging not because we don’t have the facilities or football in Zimbabwe but simply because the person at the front lacks interest and he expressed clearly in front of everyone that he is too busy to come to even watch football, we don’t know what he will be doing there.
</blockquote>
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The owner of a soccer club in Zimbabwe, Innocent Benza, wants the chairman of the football association to resign. He thinks the chairman doesn't care about football and doesn't know much about it. Benza believes the chairman should step down to help improve soccer in the country. The chairman admitted he hasn't even watched a local match in a year. Benza, who is also a member of Parliament, believes the chairman's lack of interest is holding back Zimbabwean football. He wants the chairman to quit for the good of the game.

Herentals Owner Innocent Benza Says ZIFA NC Chairman Must Resign To "Save Zimbabwean Football"

Mhondoro Mubaira Member of Parliament Chamu Chiwanza (ZANU PF) says the members of the ZIFA Normalisation Committee (NC) are “clueless individuals who don’t know anything about football” and called for their immediate resignation.
The ZIFA NC comprises Lincoln C. Mutasa (chairperson), Rosemary Mugadza (member), and Nyasha Tashinga Sanyamandwe (member). Yvonne Mapika-Manwa is the chief executive officer.
Mutasa, Sanyamandwe, and Mapika-Manwa appeared before the Parliamentary Sports Portfolio Committee on Thursday and were grilled by legislators about the state of football in the country.
Parliamentary Sports Portfolio Committee members include Farai Jere (Murehwa West) and Innocent Benza (Mutasa Central) both ZANU PF and the owners of Premier Soccer League clubs CAPS United and Herental College, respectively.
Chiwanza, Jere and Benza were among the committee members who took turns to ask Mutasa critical questions.
During the session, Mutasa revealed that he had not attended a single PSL match in the last 12 months, claiming instead that he watched the games on television, while Mapika-Manwa was exposed for not being able to name some of the players on the national football team.
Speaking to journalists after the session, Chiwanza said described the former Dynamos chairman and his administration as individuals who exposed a lack of knowledge and the inability to run the game. He said (via <a href="https://www.soccer24.co.zw/2024/07/26/mp-chamu-chiwanza-blasts-clueless-zifa-nc-calls-for-their-immediate-resignation/">Soccer24</a>):
<blockquote>
The ZIFA Normalisation Committee appeared before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sports and Recreation at the new Parliament in Mount Hampden earlier today. They are absolutely clueless, and they don’t know what football is.
Not even how to run it but they don’t know football in general. From the secretary general to the legal director in charge.
As a committee, there is no better way to describe the catastrophe that we saw today (yesterday). What a disaster coming from the ZIFA Normalisation Committee (NC).
We cannot allow our football to be run by clueless individuals with selfish agendas. I expect the chairman of the ZIFA NC to put his resignation with immediate effect.
He has no idea. It’s a catastrophe. The decay and degradation of football has been getting worse since they (ZIFA NC) came into office one year ago.
Zimbabwe is a football-loving nation. The people are crazy about football and our president is doing massive work to see that Zimbabweans are happy and we cannot allow people running football trying to distract it.
</blockquote>
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ZANU PF MP Chamu Chiwanza wants ZIFA Normalisation Committee members to resign because they don't know about football. The committee, including Lincoln C. Mutasa, Rosemary Mugadza, and Nyasha Tashinga Sanyamandwe, faced tough questions from Parliament. Mutasa admitted to not attending PSL matches and Mapika-Manwa couldn't name national team players. Chiwanza criticized the committee for their lack of knowledge and called for their resignation for failing football in Zimbabwe. They want football to be run by people who care about the sport and not just for their own agendas.

ZANU PF MP Demands Resignation Of "Clueless" ZIFA Normalisation Committee

The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) Normalisation Committee has ruled out using the 10,000-capacity Huye Stadium in the city of Butare, Rwanda, for the Warriors’ next 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying home match against Lesotho in South Africa. Their reason is that the stadium is too distant from Zimbabwe.
Due to the Government’s failure to fulfil its promise of rehabilitating the National Sports Stadium to Confederation of African Football (CAF) standards, the Warriors are likely to play their upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on foreign soil.
In their last home match, the Zimbabwe senior national team faced Nigeria and Rwanda at Huye Stadium in November 2023, resulting in draws for both matches.
ZIFA Normalisation Committee Chairperson Lincoln Mutasa told <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/sport/article/200025211/homeless-warriors-look-to-sa">NewsDay</a> that they are actively exploring venues within the southern African region to host their upcoming home match. Said Mutasa:
<blockquote>
CAF required us to suggest a venue by March 27 and by that time no local ground had been approved by the continental football governing body to host matches, so we were left with no option but to play our match away.
However, having played our first home matches in Rwanda since being readmitted back into international football, we felt Rwanda is a bit far and we are looking at venues around SADC [Southern African Development Community] and will make it public once all the necessary modalities have been carried out.
</blockquote>
The government assured that the Warriors would host their upcoming home matches at the National Sports Stadium.
However, despite the facility being closed for renovations, no efforts have been made to bring the stadium up to the necessary standards.
This week, a widely circulated image on social media revealed the neglected state of the facility’s dried-out grass.
Over the past few decades, Zimbabwe’s public infrastructure has alarmingly deteriorated, with blame falling squarely on corrupt and ineffective public officials.
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Warriors Won't Use Rwandan Stadium For Upcoming World Cup Qualifiers - ZIFA

The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has announced that the contract of Warriors head coach Baltemar Brito will expire at the end of December. ZIFA needs to negotiate a new contract and work permit for the coach, as his current contract was based on his tenure with Highlanders, which also ends on December 31. There is a risk that if ZIFA delays the process, Brito could be persuaded to work elsewhere, leaving the Warriors without a coach for upcoming assignments in the next year.
Initially, when ZIFA hired Brito two months ago to lead the Warriors in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, it was believed that his contract, along with fitness and conditioning coach Antonio Torres, would run until June 24, when the ZIFA normalisation committee’s tenure ends. However, it has now been clarified that their contracts were aligned with their time at Highlanders.
ZIFA normalisation committee chairman, Lincoln Mutasa, explained that they will need to revisit the contracts and decide whether to seek an extension. Mutasa told <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/sport/article/200020550/warriors-risk-losing-brito">NewsDay</a>:
<blockquote>
 We gave them up to the end of December. We could not give them contracts that were different from that of Highlanders. Their contracts have to be re-visited, so we have to sit down as the normalisation committee on whether to seek to apply for an extension. Their current or initial contracts were in line with that of Highlanders.
We have to re-apply to the Registrar General’s Office in terms of them getting their work permits. When they signed, we were relying on the Highlanders’ contracts.
</blockquote>
Brito has already led the Warriors in three matches, including a friendly against Botswana and two FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Nigeria.
Brito, originally from Brazil, joined Highlanders last year and quickly impressed with their strong performance in the Premier Soccer League. ZIFA was attracted to his coaching abilities, as he has previously worked with renowned coach Jose Mourinho during his time at FC Porto in Portugal, Chelsea in England, and Inter Milan in Italy.
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Brito's Contract As Warriors Coach Expires At The End Of December - ZIFA

The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) is yet to finalise the venue of the Warriors’ 2026 World Cup qualifier against Nigeria on 20 November.
ZIFA Normalisation Committee chairperson Lincoln Mutasa told <a href="https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/zifa-in-warriors-conundrum">The Sunday Mail</a> that the senior team may host the Super Eagles in Rwanda. Said Mutasa:
<blockquote>
We are working on hosting Nigeria in Rwanda and we are going to inform football stakeholders about it once discussions have been finalised.
</blockquote>
The Warriors take on Rwanda in Kigali on 13 November before hosting Nigeria a week later.
Mutasa conceded that ZIFA will incur huge costs in staging the Warriors’ assignments “home away from home”. He said:
<blockquote>
Yes, there are financial losses to be incurred but this is a sticky situation that we find ourselves in.
What saddens us the most is that supporters will miss an opportunity to watch their beloved team at home after a long time without international football.
While we would have wanted to get revenue from the match, what is important for us is to give footballers a rare opportunity to play the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
You can never put a cost to that.
Naturally, the football association foots its own bills, if it is within their means, but help from our partners will be accepted.
</blockquote>
Last week, the Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Deputy Minister Emily Jesaya told senators that ZIFA was yet to notify the Ministry about plans to host the Warriors match in Rwanda.
Meanwhile, ZIFA failed to arrange international friendly matches for the Warriors in the recent international break.
The Warriors ended up playing a practice match against a Northern Region select side, which they lost 3-1.
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