Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze
Zimpapers Sports Hub
A GAME once full of promise is now gasping for breath, and ZIFA, with FIFA’s support, have finally started listening to the voices that matter most.
Zimbabwe women’s football, long plagued by neglect, underfunding and disrepair, well before the new leadership was even ushered into office on January 25, may finally be on the verge of a major turnaround.
This comes as ZIFA have embarked on a series of nationwide stakeholder consultation meetings as part of a strategic push to resuscitate the women’s game.
These efforts are part of a broader FIFA initiative to work with national football associations in crafting country specific development plans.
For Zimbabwe, the mission is urgent, and the feedback from the grassroots is sobering.
The stakeholder meetings, spearheaded by ZIFA and supported by FIFA, began in Harare yesterday and will run through Friday, moving on to Gweru today, Bulawayo tomorrow and concluding in Masvingo.
They bring together coaches, administrators, current and former players, and legends of the women’s game.
Speaking at the opening session, ZIFA vice-president Loveness Mukura emphasised the importance of these engagements.
“The meetings will enable us to craft an inclusive and sustainable strategy for the revival of women’s football,” she said.
“While we have a general picture of the state of the game, we need to hear from those directly involved. Their voices must inform the process.”
Mukura noted that the gatherings are not just a formality, but a critical opportunity to rebuild a system that has long failed its players.
“Stakeholder inclusivity ensures that everyone’s experiences are considered, because those on the ground know the game better than we do in the boardroom,” she said. The goal is to lay the groundwork for a robust structure that spans all levels of the game. From grassroots development and talent identification to infrastructure and professionalisation, the consultations aim to chart a clear, actionable path forward.
Mukura acknowledged that the game lacks proper structures and is severely underfunded.
“The presence of FIFA personnel here brings hope,” she said. “They come with a wealth of knowledge from other associations that we can learn from. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel, we just need to adapt proven strategies to our own context.”
A range of issues surfaced during the Harare session.
Among them: widespread ridicule of female players, dismal or non-existent compensation, and poor playing conditions. The women’s game also suffers from minimal media coverage and a broader lack of appreciation.
In response to these challenges, FIFA Women’s Football Technical Expert Thubelihle Sibanda, who is part of the visiting delegation, stressed the importance of contextual accuracy in crafting a national strategy. Sibanda, a former Zimbabwe senior team player and seasoned strategist, has supported the development of women’s football across more than a dozen countries, including South Africa, Ghana and Namibia.
She is also a CAF instructor and has led FIFA programmes such as Football for Schools in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Her visit underscores FIFA’s commitment to supporting sustainable football development.
“For FIFA, it is crucial to hear directly from stakeholders,” Sibanda said. “It’s part of our football development programme and gives us and ZIFA, a clear picture of what’s needed to rebuild.”
She added that FIFA have allocated funds to support member associations in their strategic planning and will provide hands-on assistance for a specified period as countries build, or rebuild, their women’s football programmes.
“These meetings are not just talk,” Sibanda said. “The outcomes form the blueprint each country will lean on. It ensures that what’s developed is both holistic and tailored to Zimbabwe’s reality.”
The consultation sessions also represent a significant moment for ZIFA’s current leadership under the Nqobile Magwizi executive.
With FIFA’s guidance, they now face a rare opportunity to reset the game’s foundation.
Women’s football in Zimbabwe has long fought for survival in the shadows.
But if the voices in these rooms are finally heard, and if promises made are truly kept, the future might just belong to a new generation of female players who no longer have to fight for a place on the pitch.
