By Sports Writer
Nqobile Magwizi, who was voted into office at COSAFA’s elective AGM in Harare yesterday said the game of football must be transformed across the African Continent.
He spoke passionately about the need to repackage the football product in the region so that it attracts fans and commercial partners alike.
“The moment we improve standards, even commercialising the sport becomes easier,” he said after his election.
“How is it possible that the EPL can be paying players US$500,000 a week and here in Africa we are struggling? It’s because our product is not attractive. You cannot lie to the fans and stakeholders.
“They are the ones who determine. They will not put funding into the leagues when they think these things are wrong.
“So, my plea of course, as I take my position in the executive committee, is to encourage that as a bloc, we improve our standards. We become better in delivery of the product and we build confidence with our fans and all our stakeholders.”
Magwizi also spoke about the need for professionalism and good governance in football administration.
“That’s something that is very critical that we need to look at. Because there’s always this assumption that if you go to Africa, you can drive the way through. We are undermined in general because there’s a thinking that things will just happen; there are no standards in Africa.
“But I think we need to set a new standard, for example, establishing high standards that can make our individual countries compete competitively at the highest level,” said Magwizi.
The Harare business executive was elected unopposed as one of the four Executive Committee members along with Lijane Nthunya of Lesotho, Robert Shimooshili of Namibia and Peter Simelane of Eswatini.
