Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIFA’s move to become more transparent in their dealings have continued to pay off, with the domestic football mother body posting a 12 percent increase in revenue while receiving an unmodified audit opinion for the second consecutive year.
It is a major sign of improved financial governance at the association once famed for “all the reasons on how not to run a sports organisation’’.
ZIFA’s audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025, and published yesterday, show that revenue rose to US$4.645 million from US$4.143 million in 2024.
In a show of confidence from stakeholders and investors, total income, including grants and sponsorships, reached US$6.41 million, nearly doubling the figures realised in the current executive’s maiden year.
It is also the second year that ZIFA have gone public on its financials.
Independent auditors BDO Zimbabwe confirmed the accounts fairly present ZIFA’s financial position in line with IFRS standards.
The association closed with US$4.43 million in assets and US$3.51 million in reserves.
Other income amounted to US$1.769 million and included Government grants and sponsorships, commercial sponsorship, merchandise and advertising income, pointing to a broader funding base for the association.
The increased income was accompanied by a sharp rise in expenditure on football activities, with match expenditure climbing from US$2.17 million in 2024 to US$3.98 million in 2025.
ZIFA said the increase reflected expanded national-team activities and football programmes.
They also invested US$375,215 in property and equipment during the year, more than double the US$148 877 in-vested in 2024.
Despite the increased level of football activity, ZIFA recorded a relatively modest deficit of US$67,143 and ended the year with total assets of US$4.43 million and reserves of US$3.51 million.
ZIFA president Nqobile Magwizi said the latest results showed an association that was growing while strengthening their financial governance.
Magwizi is also happy that his leadership had stuck to its commitment to transparency and greater accountability.
“For the second consecutive year, ZIFA has produced audited financial statements and placed its financial performance before its stakeholders,’’ Magwizi said.
“This reflects our commitment to making transparency, accountability and sound financial governance part of the institutional culture of ZIFA.’’
He added that the financial results reflected increased revenue, a stronger asset base and the emergence of new commercial income streams, while resources directed towards national teams and football programmes had also increased substantially.
“The results demonstrate an Association that is growing. Revenue increased, our asset base strengthened, new commercial income streams emerged and, most importantly, we substantially increased the resources invested directly into national teams and football programmes’’.
The ZIFA boss described the unmodified audit opinion as an important endorsement of the football body’s financial governance systems, while their long-term objective was to build confidence among key stakeholders and the wider football community.
“The unmodified audit opinion is an important endorsement of the financial governance systems we continue to strengthen.
“Our ambition is to build a credible, transparent and financially sustainable ZIFA that inspires confidence among FIFA, CAF, Government, our sponsors and, above all, the Zimbabwean football family,” he said.
The publication of the 2025 accounts gives stakeholders a second consecutive audited financial record against which ZIFA’s financial performance, investment in football and institutional development can be assessed.
Crucially for ZIFA is also its ability to stay afloat in a very difficult operating environment in which all their national teams had to play in foreign land because the country did not have a CAF certified stadium.
With the National Sports Stadium finally receiving the nod from CAF to host international matches, ZIFA are set to benefit from a significant reduction in expenditure that was associated with having to host the Warriors’ assignments out of the country.
The Warriors will mark their return to the National Sports Stadium on October 6 when they host the Democratic Re-public of Congo in a 2027 African Cup of Nations, Group E Matchday 2 qualifier.
It will be the first time since November 14, 2021 that the country’s flagship sporting team will be playing before their home fans.
The Mighty Warriors, seeking a second Olympics appearance, will also mark their return to the National Sports Stadium with a clash against rivals Malawi on October 13.
