Harare — THE date for the long-awaited Zifa board elections could be unveiled tomorrow in what should be the culmination of a series of meetings that are being held between Fifa's top official, Ashford Mamelodi, and the domestic game's key stakeholders.

Mamelodi flew into the country yesterday afternoon for three days of crucial talks with the Zifa board, the Sport and Recreation Commission, the Premier Soccer League and the association's other affiliates.

The Cosafa secretary-general, who was expected to have his first meeting with the Zifa board late yesterday, is also scheduled to assess the association's use of funds provided under the Fifa Financial Assistance Programme ahead of the expected release of another tranche next month.

Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze said yesterday Mamelodi would also check on the progress of renovations at the Zifa Village amid serious concern from Fifa on the slow pace of construction.

Fifa funds meant for the Goal Project, for which the Zifa Village in Mt Hampden was purchased, have in the past been diverted for other uses, while lip service was given to key development programmes for coaches, referees, the youth and women's football.

But it is the discussion on the schedule of the Zifa elections, which should come under the spotlight, given the postponements that have clouded the staging of the elections.

Mashingaidze said he was hopeful Mamelodi would also confirm whether Fifa have registered Zifa's amended constitution and also approved the association's proposed elections timetable.

"This visit is part of Fifa's follow-up on the road map they drew for us.

"We submitted our proposals for the elections of all Zifa structures to Fifa and although I would not want to pre-empt Mamelodi's meetings, I am sure he will bring Fifa's feedback to us.

"Fifa are still to approve and register our constitution and we are now awaiting the green light from them on the go-ahead for the elections," said Mashingaidze.

The Sports Commission have, however, registered the constitution following its adoption by the Zifa Council in June.

Although he will discuss various topics with the Zifa board, the elections issue will be the only item on the agenda of Mamelodi's meetings with the Sports Commission, PSL, the regions, women and representatives of the provinces scheduled for this afternoon.

The PSL had at their special meeting in Kwekwe in August proposed to hold elections for a new management committee in December but with Fifa still to register Zifa's amended constitution, it is doubtful that the those polls would be held before the end of the year.

This is because Mamelodi made it clear during his earlier visit to the country that Fifa "will have an interest in all the elections and we will monitor them from provinces right up to the board and we will not allow the business of proxy votes".

Mamelodi was part of a three-member Fifa delegation, which included the world body's head of national associations Vincent Monnier and Cosafa president Ismail Bhamjee, which came in January to assess the problems that had been haunting the domestic game before drawing a fresh road map for Zimbabwe.

Fifa maintained that they would insist on yearly audited statements from Zifa and also acknowledged that some of the problems in the association were a result of weak management and the poor structures of the local mother body's secretariat.

Mashingaidze said Zifa had made strides in their development programmes, in which they utilised the first tranche of US$87 000, which they received, from Fifa.

Mamelodi would, during his visit, also assess Zifa's use of the Fifa funds.

"We want them (Fifa) to recommit themselves to funding the programmes we have such as courses for Five-a-Side, coaching, refereeing, sports medicine, administrators, women's and youth football.

"There is also the issue of capacity building for affiliates and the secretariat and Fifa are now strict, they want to check whether the funds have been used for the intended purposes.

"We have submitted budgets for youth development, women, referees and we are expecting the funding to come in the next tranche next month.

"The Goal Project is behind and Mamelodi is keen to ensure we complete Phase I because we are the only country lagging behind.

"Others such as Malawi and Botswana have already done their Phase I and are now accessing support for Phase II," said Mashingaidze.

Zifa, Mashingaidze said, wanted the Zifa Village to be run along commercial lines by the association's company - the Zifa Private Limited.

But after a series of visits to the country to address domestic football's ills, it is Mamelodi's latest tour of duty, which could give an insight on whether or not Fifa are satisfied with the efforts that Zifa have made to restore sanity in the country's biggest sport.

Mamelodi was tasked to closely monitor the situation in Zimbabwe on a monthly basis and many of the game's stakeholders believe his input to Fifa is key to Zifa finding lasting solutions to the squabbles that have characterised the governance of the domestic game.