PAULINE Matute, the former secretary- general for the Zimbabwe Women’s Soccer League has died.She was 51.The veteran football administrator died yesterday at a hospital in East London, South Africa, where she had been seeking treatment for cancer.
According to sports consultant and close family friend, Shepherd Chiware, Matute’s son Irvine relayed the news of Pauline’s death but said funeral arrangements and modalities of repatriating her body are still being worked out.
“I am still saddened by her death because we had worked together on a number of projects in football and sports.
“Pauline’s son, Irvine has just told me that her mother has passed away in East London.
“Its very unfortunate because I had been working with her on the Dynamos’ Golden Jubilee celberations and she has been taken away before the celebrations
“She was one of my assistants on the Dynamos @50 project ,” said Chiware.
Chiware said details of the burial were still sketchy as Irvine was still trying to sort out the possible arrangements to repatriate the body home for burial.
“At the moment he is trying to see how best he can deal with the situation and I also appeal to people whoever can come forward to assist the lad during these trying times,” said Chiware.
Matute rose to prominence at the turn of the millennium when she was the secretary-general of the ZWSL, with tissue manufacturers Softex the league’s major sponsors then.
She worked closely with chairperson Susan Chibizhe to take Women’s football to another level after the likes of the late former refereee and administrator Alice Mambinge had laid the groundwork for the development of their game.
it was during he tenure in the Chibizhe-led executive that the Mighty Warriors brand came to promince with such top players like current coaches Rosemary Mugadza and Nomsa “Boyz” Moyo, Precious “Gringo” Mpala, Ruth Banda and Talent Maphosa featuring prominently.
Matute, a staunch Dynamos supporter also tried her luck for a post in the DeMbare executive in 2002.
Internal squabbles at the popular Harare giants that year meant the elections were deferred and a possible chance for her to become the first woman on the Glamnor Boys executive was lost.
After failing to land a post at DeMbare, Matute continued with women’s football when she sponsored the PicMac Investments Mashonaland East Girls Soccer Tournament.
Matute also served as the manageress for the Mighty Warriors in 2004 but was unceremoniously kicked out of the job, just days after assuming the post as the team prepared for the Women’s African Cup of Nations Championships in South Africa.
She tried to come back into mainstream football administration in 2006 when she was elected the chairperson of the Southern Region but later left to pursue private business.
It was during this time which she teamed up with Chiware to prepare for Dynamos’ 50th anniversary.
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