Daily News|THE more things change, the more they stay the same, so goes the old adage attributed to 19th century French critic, journalist and novelist Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr. 

This aptly describes the situation at 53 Livingstone Avenue, the home of the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa).
So much seems to be happening, but effectively nothing is taking place. 

Zifa has been in the news so often, but for the wrong reasons, with the Asiagate scandal of 2012 obviously standing out as the climax of the felony at the football mother body.
Successive Zifa executives have remained stuck in controversy, leaving observers speculating that something much bigger is the problem with Zimbabwean football. 

Issues of non-payment of bonuses for coaches and players who take part in national duty are not unusual, financial impropriety, corporate governance challenges, corruption and even thuggery at times have all become inherent in our football.
However, the Felton Kamambo executive seems to have beaten all other executives in their bungling. 

In the run-up to his election as Zifa boss, Kamambo indicated he was going to clean up the mess at Zifa in an attempt to win back the support of the key corporate world. Within a year of his tenure, the national association has proven to be worse than the previous one led by businessman Philip Chiyangwa and even the Cuthbert Dube-led executive.

The Warriors’ participation in the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cairo, Egypt, in June has become the epitome of Zifa’s deficient leadership after the men’s senior national soccer side threatened to boycott their matches at the continental football showcase over non-payment of allowances.

The treatment of the Mighty Warriors following their participation at the Olympic tournament in Brazil, the Cosafa clash against their Zambian counterparts, among many other instances, are reflective of the lack of capacity at Zifa.

The Sports and Recreation Commission — in a stance that has been backed by Southerton legislator Peter Moyo — has called for the dissolution of the current Zifa board. The parliamentarian has also urged the government to institute a forensic audit of the association’s books.

Normalcy must return to Zimbabwean football even if it means a root and branch shake-up of all the structures. It is known that Fifa will ban Zimbabwe if the government meddles in the sport, but there are many who feel that sanity has to prevail at whatever cost.