Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze
Zimpapers Sports Hub
AFTER more than two decades in the trenches, Theresa Maguraushe, a veteran administrator of the game, has confirmed she will not be contesting in the upcoming Zimbabwe Women Premier Soccer League elections.
Maguraushe, who has worn many administrative hats at ZIFA, and the women’s structures, feels it’s time to hand over to the next person.
The ZWSL elections are scheduled for July 25, 2025 with the league’s chairperson becoming a ZIFA executive committee member.
Despite her name popping up in the conversations building up to the election, Maguraushe said she is not contesting.
“I’m not going to contest these elections, this is a decision that I have made after a long thought process,” she said.
“My time is up, so I am out of the race, I have been in women’s football for too long hence the need to hand over the baton to the next person.”
Maguraushe has been in women’s football, serving in various capacities at club, league and association level since the late 90s.
She still has memories of how a small group of women and she were motivated after watching the Mandela Trophy and were inspired to help girls play football in Zimbabwe.
From then on Maguraushe and her friends introduced women’s football in the high-density suburb of Glen Norah before making it popular in other areas and provinces.
In Glen Norah, they visited a community centre where women often gathered to play netball.
“We started convincing those netball players to try out women’s football and in a short time, we had a complete team,” Maguraushe said.
“This is how we developed the passion for the game, I recall we also went to watch another tournament in Mozambique and from there we became unstoppable.”
As women’s football grew in popularity, structures were set up and in 1998 Maguraushe was elected to be a Harare province chairperson.
In 2 000, women’s football was then professionalised and she rose to be the regional chairperson.
Six years later, she was tasked to start the women’s football desk under ZIFA.
“That is when I started proper women’s football administration until 2021, when I retired,” she said.
The following year in February, FIFA suspended Zimbabwe from international football before lifting the ban 18 months later with the world body appointing a Normalisation Committee to run ZIFA.
Lincoln Mutasa’s Normalisation Committee then recalled Maguraushe to come and steer the ZWPSL, albeit during their interim tenure at the association.
Under her leadership, the domestic league last year secured a sponsorship deal worth US$320 000 from The Heart Group, sparking a re-branding of the women’s top-flight.
It then became known as The Heart League.
In that same year, the 16 top teams competed in the Heart Cup, which was ultimately won by Chapungu. However, this partnership was short-lived, and the league, now back to their old title, have since reverted to self-funding. Maguraushe’s executive also pushed for the women’s league to have a constitution after years of operating without one.
The women’s football granny expressed satisfaction in making progress in the game, having recently spearheaded the development of a strategic plan to revive women’s football.
“I know the progress may have been slow and little but considering where we are coming from as women football, we celebrate even the smallest gains,” she said.
“My desire is to see the league and the game at large thrive, with the hope that the initiatives we are leaving in the pipeline will continue to be advanced and implemented.”
Maguraushe said her commitment to the growth of women’s football at all levels remains strong.
She envisions a future where the sport receives robust support from various sectors, including corporate sponsors, the Government and FIFA.
She also called for collective efforts from all stakeholders to foster the development of women’s football, urging them to actively participate in the mission to revive the game.
“As I take a bow, my wish is to see a flourishing women’s football landscape and a conducive environment for the girls,” she said.
“I will be available in an unofficial advisory role because my wish is to help Zimbabwe reclaim its spot as a women’s football regional powerhouse.”
