Online Reporter
Fungai Muderere
Zifa president Nqobile Magwizi has expressed his gratitude in meeting Fifa president Gianni Infantino at the Confederation of African Football (Caf) 14th Extraordinary General Assembly that concluded in Cairo, Egypt.
The two presidents met on Tuesday, where Infantino officially welcomed Magwizi into the world’s football governing body’s family.
Magwizi was recently elected the new Zifa boss to officially replace Felton Kamambo, whose tenure was cut short after his entire board was suspended by the Sports Recreation Commission (SRC).
“I had the privilege of meeting Fifa president Gianni Infantino. He shared his enthusiasm for Zimbabwe’s football growth potential and reaffirmed Fifa’s commitment to supporting our journey back to the top. His words of encouragement and assurance of support are a major boost as we work towards restoring Zimbabwe’s football legacy. Exciting times lie ahead for our football. Together, we will rebuild and achieve greatness,” said Magwizi.
In a brief statement, Zifa said in a pivotal meeting, “they (Infantino and Magwizi) discussed key issues in Zimbabwean football and explored ways to drive the game forward.”
Magwizi was recently elected the new Zifa boss to replace Felton Kamambo, whose tenure was cut short after his entire board was suspended by the Sports Recreation Commission (SRC).
A few days ago, Zifa signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Morocco, which will see the two countries’ football federations working together in developing the sport. The new MoU was signed by Magwizi.
Set to run for two years, the pact will mainly focus on growing grassroot football between the two nations as well as forging technical capacity building.
Under the new partnership, Morocco will also host and support Zifa delegations in several exchange programmes, which are aimed to help the Southern African country.
According to a Zifa communique, the historic deal is expected to strengthen football development in both nations. This is set to be done through initiatives, which include:
“Training programmes for coaches, referees, and administrators. Youth and women’s football development. Friendly matches for senior and youth teams. Exchange programs and joint events.”
The North Africans, whose world-class facilities have been an inspiration to many countries, are also billed to host and support Zifa delegations, while Zimbabwe will, among other obligations, facilitate tours by Moroccan teams.
Meanwhile, Patrice Motsepe was on Wednesday formally re-elected to serve a second term as president of Caf until 2029, having been unopposed at the 14th Caf Extraordinary General Assembly.
