Story by Lawrence Trusida, Sports Editor
THE Zimbabwe Football Association says it has laid a solid foundation for the revival of Zimbabwean football and is now shifting its focus towards delivering tangible results on and off the pitch.
This emerged at the association’s Annual General Meeting held in Harare on Friday, the first AGM convened by the new Congress since taking office last year.
ZIFA President Nqobile Magwizi said the past year had been dedicated to restoring stability, rebuilding trust and strengthening governance structures within the game.
Under the new executive, ZIFA has regained the confidence of key corporate partners while promoting greater accountability, transparency and professionalism.
Capacity-building programmes, including long-suspended coaching courses, have also been reinstated, marking a significant step in rebuilding technical expertise across the football ecosystem.
Equally important, junior development structures—widely regarded as the bedrock of any sustainable football system have been revived.
The AGM followed a demanding but productive year in which ZIFA successfully hosted several major regional and continental tournaments, including the COSAFA Boys Under-17 Championship, the CAF Girls Under-17 GIFT Tournament and the CAF African Schools Football Championship finals.
A key outcome of the meeting was the adoption of a US$17 million budget for the year, with football development taking centre stage.
“Football development is key. We need to see our Warriors and Mighty Warriors winning and improving their world rankings. This can only happen if we strengthen our structures and build a more robust ecosystem. With this budget now approved, we can begin implementing projects that will transform football development in Zimbabwe,” said Magwizi.
He added that the association is now moving from a stabilisation phase into a performance-driven era.
“Our first year was about establishing a strong foundation after the transition. We believe that foundation is now in place, and it is time to deliver results. Structurally, we are in a far better position,” he said.
In another significant development, ZIFA unveiled two new luxury team buses for the Zimbabwe national football team and the Zimbabwe women’s national football team.
The additions bring the total number of buses acquired by the new executive to three within its first year in office, underscoring the association’s commitment to improving player welfare and operational efficiency.
With governance reforms, renewed stakeholder confidence and a substantial development budget now in place, ZIFA believes Zimbabwean football is poised for a new era of growth and competitiveness.
