HARARE - Miriam Sibanda is the new Zimbabwe National Women’s Soccer League (ZNWSL) chairperson after edging Mavis Gumbo in a tightly contested election held at Zifa Village in Harare yesterday.
Sibanda, who is the boss at Northern Region Division One side Twalumba FC, garnered 22 votes while Gumbo came in second with 20.
The newly-elected ZNWSL boss was elated to have been given the opportunity to lead women’s football for the next four years and promised to revamp the game.
“Let us carry on creating initiatives to get the girl child forward. Let us take women football as club owners and I think I also heard what the players are saying.
“When I was talking to you, I was saying today is the first step. Now we need to start working. You will be hearing from us as a committee. Very soon we should be playing women’s football again.”
Gumbo was gracious in defeat and still managed to put on a brave face after the results.
“The women’s football constituency has spoken. To Miriam Sibanda I say good luck,” she said.
“Continue with the work that I have done. I leave the office a tall woman because when I took the chairperson position there was no women football to talk about. Now that there is women football to talk about.
“I am proud of that and to the Mighty Warriors and to the technical team please continue. I want to see you in Namibia in October. Then come 2015, you have to be in Canada for my sake and for the sake of those who have supported you during my time.”
Asked if she was disappointed to lose by just two votes, she said: “No, no, no I am not disappointed. I am happy because she also has to continue with where I have left. If I had been disappointed there was no way I was going to smile but I know I have left a legacy which nobody had done in the history of women football. So I leave a proud person.”
Elizabeth Langa was re-elected as the vice-chairperson after walloping club representative Cecilia Mudzana by 30 votes to 11.
Benny Mamoche, Trust Kwembeya, Edwin Magoswongwe and Cecilia Gambe were elected to positions board member for the Women’s league.