Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo-Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIFA are leaving nothing to chance in their bid to transform the game in the country with the association moving in to establish a national football academy centre in Harare.
Following decades of lip service to real development programmes, the ZIFA leadership have since assuming office in January last year, pushed to reset the growth of the game across the country.
And Nqobile Magwizi’s executive sees the NAC playing a key role in elite player development including housing Under-20 select teams both from the diaspora and those based locally for further moulding and nurturing.
A base amount of US$250 000 drawn from the FIFA Forward fund is already in hand and will be channelled towards the establishment of this facility.
“As ZIFA, we know our mandate is to develop the game of football right from the grassroots going up.
“The structures we have right now aren’t doing a lot in properly nurturing our young talent. We know for real that we have a lot in terms of potential given the raw talent that we have in all parts of this country,’’ Magwizi said.
“But then there are stages which we aren’t doing well in the development trajectory of the players.
“The first step for ZIFA was to negotiate with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education with whom we signed a MoU that will see football being played throughout the calendar year rather than being limited to a termly sport.
“That will ensure that the kids get the requisite hours of training before they turn 16 and afterwards, we can have really good players, who can then easily fit into the senior structures.
“On top of that, we are establishing a National Academy Centre in Harare, that will be more like a School of Excellence to polish up our kids.”
He said the NAC will eventually see national Under-20 select sides camping there under the guidance of expert coaches, who will be monitoring their development.
“The NAC will be for both players based here in Zimbabwe and those outside the country. We will have select teams camping there for further development and this will also allow us time an opportunity to progressively track all the players at every age group as they grow to establish themselves at senior level.
“We have already received US$250 000 from the FIFA Development Support which we will use in establishing this centre.
“All we want at the end of the day is to see our football growing from strength to strength. We are trying to have those measures which we think will help football grow on the ground. We know it’s our mandate and we have to do that, ” said Magwizi.
“More and more interventions to help the game grow in this country are coming.”
The bid to set up a national centre of excellence comes against the backdrop of a watershed ZIFA Presidential Cup which is being sponsored to the tune of over US$20million by President Mnangagwa.
The tournament, sources say, will be launched before the end of this month and will see over 500 teams participating right from primary school level up to the top-tiers in the country.
Previously neglected establishments like beach soccer and Five-A-Side will also be catered for.
The junior impact cup has since been boosted by the coming in of a local financial institution which will be announced in the coming weeks.
The ZIFA Presidential Challenge Cup will be the biggest ever football tournament to be played in this country and will see winners in the senior men’s category representing the country in the CAF Confederation Cup.
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