BEING good at football is one thing, but dressing well away from the pitch or within the confines of duty is a completely different ball game.

To put it simply, some can, others can’t.
Footballers have generally been known to have a questionable dress sense, and the issue has only heightened as the game becomes richer and high-end fashion is expected.

But how can fans get behind their heroes if they are not dressing well and looking smart?
For many footballers, anything expensive and unique looking seemingly does the trick. That hasn’t always been the case for every player, though, with an elite handful in touch with their stylish side.

That’s right. There is a small-ish circle of footballers who, to put it how the kids would these days, have a serious collection of “garms” and can throw together some serious highly branded “fits”, sneakers and slopes, among other things.
Yes, they are down with the trends but at times there is a need for a team to look smart and uniformly dressed outside the pitch and before matches.

Warriors

Years ago, then Manchester United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ordered Red Devil’s players to wear their official club suits to all matches as he continued to impose his ethos on the squad.

A smarter dress code is just one of the ground rules Solskjaer had borrowed from Manchester United legendary ex-gaffer Sir Alex Ferguson.

In that regard, it is pleasing to note that the country’s flagship football team, the Warriors, last week got a massive boost ahead of their 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Benin and Nigeria after Zifa entered into a deal with top men’s formal clothing outlet 4May International to dress the team for the next three years.
The partnership is effective from March 1 and will only cover the men’s national team.

As part of this partnership, 4May International will provide formal wear, including suits, shirts and shoes for a 23-member team, coaching staff, support personnel and executive members.

It is not the first time that 4May International are clothing the senior men’s national team after they partnered the Warriors ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of National finals.

They are also the official formal wear partner for the men’s cricket team.
“At 4May International, we believe that style and professionalism go hand in hand. Dressing the Warriors is both an honour and a responsibility, as we seek to contribute to their distinguished presence on and off the pitch. Our collaboration with Zifa is built on shared values of excellence, pride and ambition, and we look forward to a successful and impactful partnership,” said 4May International chief executive officer Ellcy Chimedza.

She added: “So, this new partnership has come with a three-year tenure, until maybe we renew again for a longer period. So, that is one of the contract terms of this new partnership. Alongside with us sponsoring the formal wear that they wear to all of their key matches and key fixtures.”

Kudzai Kadzombe, who is the Zifa marketing committee chairperson is excited about the collaboration.
“This partnership with 4May International is a testament to our vision of elevating Zimbabwean football to international standards. Our players and technical team deserve to look as professional as they perform, and with this agreement, we are ensuring that they exude confidence and pride whenever they represent the nation. We are delighted to welcome 4May into the Zifa family,” said Kadzombe.

Warriors head coach Michael Nees also welcomed the deal.
“This co-operation is a sign of increased professionalisation of our football and it shows that the corporate world is behind the Warriors, which is good.

“This must be a good partnership because when I asked the players about their sizes, they never responded to me that fast.
“I can tell you that. I trust the executive that this is a good partnership,” he said.