Zimbabwe will host Uganda in the first leg of the African qualifiers for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, giving the Young Mighty Warriors the chance to play a competitive international match on home soil.
The match is scheduled to take place in Zimbabwe between April 10 and 12, with the Young Mighty Warriors expected to play on April 11 before travelling to Uganda for the return leg set for between April 17 and 19.
The development follows successful engagements by the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which have now allowed Zimbabwe to stage matches of this magnitude locally.
Last year, the Young Mighty Warriors were forced to host their home matches in Rwanda during the same competition due to the lack of CAF-approved venues in Zimbabwe. However, the latest approval means the team can now host Uganda at home, with venues such as Ngoni Stadium, Heart Stadium Chahwanda Stadium and Barbourfields Stadium among the stadiums considered capable of hosting the fixture.
The decision to allow Zimbabwe to stage the match locally follows recent successful hosting of regional tournaments, including the CAF U- 17 tournament, which was played in Ngoni Stadium and The heart Stadium
ZIFA Presidet Nqobile Magwizi once said hosting the match home will be a major boost for the young squad.
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“Playing at home will motivate the girls because they will have the support of local fans. It also shows that Zimbabwe is ready to host more international matches,” once said Magwizi during the U-17 CAF tournament
The qualifiers involve 31 African nations and will be played over three knockout rounds on a home-and-away basis. At the end of the campaign, four teams will secure places at the tournament finals to be staged in Morocco.
ZIFA have also been working tirelessly in collaboration with the Sports and Recreation Commission and the Ministry of Public Works to ensure the refurbishment of the National Sports Stadium is completed by May and that the giant facility can be certified to host Warriors matches again in September.
It is the association’s bid to also spread various national teams matches across the country and there are indications that Magwizi and his executive will embark on a charm offensive to convince municipalities to take a leading role in infrastructure construction.
For now Magwizi and his team will be happy to see a major reduction in costs of travelling and accommodation as the Young Warriors and Young Mighty Warriors sides are now allowed to play on home soil.
Premiership champions Scottland and Chibuku Supper Cup winners Dynamos also stand to benefit from the ZIFA-CAF engagement with the country’s representatives looking to be granted the authority to play their Champions League and Confederation Cup preliminary round assignments at home.
The last time Dynamos played in the Confederation Cup, they had to make do with playing their home games at Obed Itani Chilume in Francistown, Botswana.
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