Lincoln Mutasa leads the group that runs football elections in Zimbabwe. He says they're following the rules exactly as written, not making up new ones. The big election happens in Harare on January 25, 2024.
This election matters because it comes after some tough times. The old leaders, including Felton Kamambo, got kicked out. First, the sports commission suspended them in November 2021. Then the ZIFA Congress took away their power in April 2022. FIFA picked Mutasa to help fix things.
Things heated up on Monday when Mutasa's team shared who could run in the election. Many people got upset because they couldn't join the race. Some big names got left out: Farai Jere, Walter Magaya, Themba Mliswa, and Benjani Mwaruwari.
Farai Jere fought back at first but changed his mind. He said he wanted football to win instead. People complained about getting kicked out, but Mutasa kept saying they just followed the rules from ZIFA's updated rules and election guide.
The rules say candidates need 5 O'Level certificates. Mutasa wrote to Jere explaining he couldn't run because of problems with his name change on school certificates. Anyone who disagrees can take their case to a special sports court in Switzerland.
Jere tried to fix things by showing his birth certificate and some legal papers about his name change. But he decided not to fight anymore. The other people who got left out - Magaya, Mliswa, and Mwaruwari - got letters telling them why they couldn't run.
This election matters because it comes after some tough times. The old leaders, including Felton Kamambo, got kicked out. First, the sports commission suspended them in November 2021. Then the ZIFA Congress took away their power in April 2022. FIFA picked Mutasa to help fix things.
Things heated up on Monday when Mutasa's team shared who could run in the election. Many people got upset because they couldn't join the race. Some big names got left out: Farai Jere, Walter Magaya, Themba Mliswa, and Benjani Mwaruwari.
Farai Jere fought back at first but changed his mind. He said he wanted football to win instead. People complained about getting kicked out, but Mutasa kept saying they just followed the rules from ZIFA's updated rules and election guide.
The rules say candidates need 5 O'Level certificates. Mutasa wrote to Jere explaining he couldn't run because of problems with his name change on school certificates. Anyone who disagrees can take their case to a special sports court in Switzerland.
Jere tried to fix things by showing his birth certificate and some legal papers about his name change. But he decided not to fight anymore. The other people who got left out - Magaya, Mliswa, and Mwaruwari - got letters telling them why they couldn't run.
