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Ellina Mhlanga Senior Sports Reporter
THERE is new hope for women’s football in Zimbabwe after FIFA lifted the country’s suspension from international football and spoke strongly about the need to reform the women’s game.
Advisor to COSAFA president Ralph Nkomo, who was part of the football dignitaries at the unveiling of the ZIFA normalisation committee yesterday, said they would want to see Zimbabwean women’s football teams back in the game and are looking at the possibility of hosting an Under-20 women’s football tournament in the country as part of the restoration process.
“As COSAFA, we see a great need for ladies’ football, especially Zimbabwe ladies football to come back to the fore. So we are currently discussing and we will discuss with the relevant parties, the Ministry and SRC to hold a tournament here in the next couple of months for maybe the ladies Under-20,” said Nkomo.
A four-member normalisation committee was unveiled yesterday, with former Zimbabwe women’s team captain and coach Rosemary Mugadza also part of the interim leadership, to run the affairs at 53 Livingstone Avenue for the next one year.
Zimbabwe had been suspended from the international game since February 2022 and the women’s teams suffered the agony of being excluded from a number of regional and international competitions.
FIFA head of development programs in Africa Solomon Mudege said while Zimbabwe will miss out on current competitions, whose draws have already been conducted, there are opportunities for other international tournaments in the future.
“Regarding the participation in current competitions, as you are aware those draws have already been done, so it would not be possible to add a Zimbabwean team.
“However, there are opportunities of adding Zimbabwe national teams into other international tournaments such as which are being mentioned by COSAFA.
“COSAFA remains our most immediate entry into international football. We also support COSAFA in staging these tournaments, so that is what will be done.”
Mudege, who is a Zimbabwean based in Zurich, pointed out the need to re-look at how women’s football was run in the country. He emphasised the need for professionalism after coming face to face with some chaotic incidents when he attended some of the women’s league matches recently.
“But before we look internationally we need to change things locally . . . We need to be more professional in how we do it.
“Un-professionalism comes from the fact that ZIFA doesn’t currently have a women’s football officer or anyone to run women’s football. That should change, and the normalisation committee is aware of that. But one person can’t change it, so that’s part of the restructuring that we need to do,” said Mudege.
During the 17 months of football isolation, the Mighty Warriors missed out on the COSAFA Women’s Championship last year while Black Rhinos and Herentals the CAF Women’s Champions League.
Rhinos made history in 2021 when they took part in the inaugural CAF Champions League qualifier which was played as the zonal COSAFA Women’s regional qualifier in Durban. They reached the final of the inaugural competition.
But they could not return for the second edition last year due to Zimbabwe’s suspension from all international competitions by FIFA. For the record, the Mighty Warriors are the only football team to have qualified for a global event following their 2016 success.
The re-admission of Zimbabwe by FIFA comes after the draw for the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2024 Qualifiers was conducted last week, and the Mighty Warriors have to wait a bit longer for their participation. The qualifiers are set for August this year. ZIFA have over the years been accused of neglecting women’s football in the country.
“I think there was a simple lack of investment into women’s football but that needs to change.
“We have also engaged the Footballers Union of Zimbabwe for being quite a vocal advocate for women’s football, we need to find a way in order to look after the female players in a much better way,” Mudege said. But with the appointment of the normalisation committee whose duties include restructuring the ZIFA administration, there is hope that it will also lead to a positive change and approach towards women’s football.
Online Reporter