ZIFA President Nqobile Magwizi’s mandate faces its toughest test once again amid funded whispers of discontent from his long-standing rivals who want to engineer a vote of no-confidence against him ahead of the Warriors’ participation at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

This comes amid reports that his erstwhile enemies who lost in the Zifa Presidential race are now sponsoring “hired-journalists” and some disgruntled councillors to distabilise Magwizi’s leadership and move a motion of vote of no confidence.

Sources told this publication that a paid activist has since approached the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission with a fabricated report aimed at influencing the commission to investigate Magwizi over the Warriors soccer kit procurement process.

“The person approached Zacc on Tuesday claiming the procurement of the Warriors kit was not above board and calls for a probe,” said the source.

This comes on the backdrop of a social media outcry of the quality of the AFCON kit which some social media influencers believe is not of good quality.

However, Zifa insiders believe the outcry is more than the need for a beautiful kit.

“This is a sustained attack on the Zifa leadership. We saw it when the team was playing some friendly games. We saw this when Zifa hired the new coach. We are seeing it again when the team is about to leave for AFCON.”

Additionally, reports suggest that lobbying efforts are underway among ZIFA councillors. Several councillors have allegedly been observed at a venue linked to an individual who failed to secure a spot on the ballot during the January elections.

"This person is courting councillors to gather support for a challenge against Magwizi," another source noted, emphasizing the intense behind-the-scenes maneuvering.

Magwizi's election in January 2025 was touted as the dawn of a new era for Zimbabwean football, following the Sports and Recreation Commission's (SRC) dissolution of the previous board and interim governance by the Lincoln Mutasa-led Normalisation Committee. His resounding victory was seen as a mandate for reform in the beleaguered football association.

The current unrest reflects the precarious nature of ZIFA leadership, where presidents have often faced premature exits, frequently via votes of no confidence.

Notable past removals include Leo Mugabe, who resigned in 2003 after a vote of no confidence linked to financial accountability issues and the national team's underperformance. His departure set a troubling precedent, illustrating the internal politicking that plagues ZIFA.

The current “man made chaos” and the lobbying efforts among councillors highlight a continuing trend in which administrative challenges and internal discord are leveraged against sitting presidents, a scenario that places Magwizi’s tenure under an acid test.

Magwizi's decision to abide by the Zifa constitution and the FIFA roadmap to hold elections for all affiliates has left some long serving councillors disgruntled as they felt some entitlement to cling on to their posts in the Congress.

"Most of those councillors who had become used to making money from elections after every two years after orchestrating the ouster of an elected president.

"It has been an ongoing  trend that saw Rafika Khan's tenure being cut short,  Cuthber Dube in 2015, Philip Chiyangwa after just two years and by the second year of Felton Kamambo's term they started problems for him," the insiders say.