Tinaye Agere
Nqobile Magwizi
Inside ZIFA
Last week, I wrote about Zimbabwe’s ambition to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
I knew the subject would stir emotion, because football in this country is never just about 90 minutes on the pitch.
It is about pride, identity, memory, disappointment, hope and the deep belief that Zimbabwe can be much more than it has been.
The response from supporters was passionate, honest and necessary. Many embraced the ambition, but they also challenged us to look beyond the dream and confront the work required to make it real.
They reminded us, quite rightly, that World Cup qualification cannot be built on desire alone.
It must be supported by proper facilities, better coaching, stronger competitions, clear development structures and a serious commitment to player pathways.
Above all, one question kept coming through. It is a simple question, but a very important one: where will the next generation of Warriors and Mighty Warriors come from?
That question deserves an honest answer, and it is one we must keep asking ourselves as an Association.
So, where will the next generation of Warriors and Mighty Warriors come from?
They will come from the work we are beginning to do now. Football in Zimbabwe is followed with deep feeling, strong opinions and genuine love for the game.
We welcome these conversations because they challenge us, sharpen our thinking and keep us focused on what really matters.
The message from supporters has been clear: ambition is important, but implementation is what will ultimately define us.
That is why I am especially encouraged by what begins next weekend. The BancABC Roots Impact Programme will officially get underway, bringing together provincial teams from across Zimbabwe in structured Under-14 and Under-16 competitions for both boys and girls.
At first glance, some may see it as just another youth football tournament.
In truth, it is much more than that. It is the start of a deliberate, long-term football development pathway that Zimbabwe has needed for many years.
It is one of the practical answers to the question supporters are rightly asking about the future of our national teams.
One of the biggest challenges facing football development across Africa is the lack of consistent, meaningful competition for young players. Talent exists in abundance, but talent without regular matches, proper coaching and the right exposure can easily go unnoticed or underdeveloped.
The Roots Impact Programme is designed to confront that challenge directly.
Provincial teams will take part in structured competitions over a sustained period, with each team playing the others at least once.
That means a minimum of nine matches for each team. This is not a one-day event or a short tournament that ends before proper assessment can take place.
It is part of a wider effort to create regular, competitive football that allows players to grow, coaches to assess talent properly and technical teams to monitor progress over time.
Equally important is the way the programme brings key football stakeholders together.
Through the Memorandum of Understanding signed last year between ZIFA and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, organisations such as the National Association of Primary Heads and the National Association of Secondary Heads are fully part of the process. This partnership is important because schools remain the biggest and most accessible source of football talent in Zimbabwe.
Our vision goes beyond simply identifying gifted players. We are also searching for a national football identity.
We want to build a system that defines how Zimbabwe develops players, how we compete and how we eventually succeed on the international stage.
Under the guidance of CAF-licensed coaches and the oversight of our Technical Directorate, the programme will give young players an environment where they can learn the game in a structured, safe and progressive way.
That kind of environment is essential if we are serious about producing players who are technically sound, tactically aware and mentally prepared for higher levels of competition.
The impact of this programme will also go beyond the immediate competition.
The provincial teams that emerge from the BancABC Roots Impact Programme will form the foundation for teams that will participate in the Zimbabwe National Youth and Paralympic Games, organised by the Sports and Recreation Commission in Mashonaland East this August. From there, the player pool will be widened, refined and prepared for the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games scheduled for Mozambique in December.
These same development structures will also strengthen our preparations for future COSAFA youth tournaments and CAF age-group competitions.
They will also form an important base for the team that will participate in the FIFA Under-15 World Cup and Festival, whose first boys’ edition will be held in Azerbaijan in October this year, with the girls’ event set for 2027.
For too long, Zimbabwe has often assembled youth teams only shortly before major tournaments.
That approach cannot produce sustainable success. If we want to compete consistently, we must build differently. We need a pipeline. The Roots Impact Programme is helping us create that pipeline.
It is also encouraging to see more talent identification platforms emerging across the country.
The inclusion of junior teams in the Munhumutapa Challenge Cup is creating another important opportunity for young players to compete and be seen.
These club-level competitions complement the provincial structures and give us a broader base from which to identify and nurture talent. The importance of these pathways cannot be overstated.
As fans watch the FIFA World Cup and observe how other nations perform, there are valuable lessons for us.
South Africa’s recent progress, for example, has been supported by investment in youth development and structured competitions.
Many of their players have come through strong domestic development systems.
No nation reaches the top of world football by accident.
The countries we admire today did not start with World Cup appearances.
They started by investing in children. They created opportunities for young players to play regularly, learn properly and develop within clear systems. The success came later.
What excites me most is that we are beginning to see more organised youth football being played across the country.
There are more structured games, more development opportunities and stronger partnerships than we have seen for some time. This is not yet the finished product. There is still a lot of work ahead. But the direction is encouraging.
Football development requires patience. It requires consistency. It requires the courage to invest today in results that may only become visible years from now.
The next Warriors captain may be playing in the BancABC Roots Impact Programme next weekend.
The next Mighty Warriors star may emerge from one of our provincial teams over the coming months.
The next generation of Zimbabwean football excellence will not appear by accident. It will be built deliberately, systematically and patiently.
The work continues.
Online Reporter