International football federation FIFA have committed to assisting ZIFA to play catch up after years of stagnation and the Zurich-based organisation is planning more development programmes for Zimbabwe.
FIFA last Friday concluded an Essential Club Professionalisation and Management Course in Harare.
It was the first of its kind in Southern Africa and only the second such workshop for club and leagues’ representatives on the continent.
FIFA head of development programmes for Africa Solomon Mudege led a crew of experts, who conducted the course attended by local Premier Soccer League clubs, Women’s Soccer League and top Regional Division One sides.
Mudege said FIFA backed ZIFA’s vision and will through the FIFA Forward Programme continue to avail the financial and material resources which the association needs.
“So, this is just the intro, there will be further workshops focusing on ZIFA's club (licensing regulations not just for the men but also for the women under the FIFA women's football development program,’’ Mudege said.
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“I think now the message is clear that we need to make this progress for the benefit of our local football and for the fans and everyone involved in football’’.
Mudege added that FIFA were exploring ways to help ZIFA with infrastructure development.
“I think ZIFA is interested in doing that (build infrastructure) on our side whenever we've got infrastructure investments under the forward program the aim is always to make sure that ZIFA or any other member associations benefits from it for the long term.
“So, we'd like to see leases or some sort of agreement we'd say for the next 20 years if we invest in this facility or we own this facility therefore it will benefit us for at least the next 20 years.
“We're engaging with ZIFA to see how we can further support them whether it's their attempts to find a new headquarters or to make further improvements of the ZIFA Village or to find a new technical centre those are all things that are possible under the forward program, and we look forward to working with ZIFA.
“The challenges are known but also we need to prioritize because the money cannot be used for everything but if infrastructure is one of the priorities therefore, we'll be able to work with ZIFA hand in hand to make sure that they deliver that,’’ added Mudege.
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