Innocent Kurira [email protected]
THE Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) has intensified efforts to professionalise football administration with vice-president Kennedy Ndebele emphasising good governance, financial accountability and institutional capacity as Phase Three of the Administration and Management Course began in Bulawayo on Monday.
Ndebele said the sustainable development of football depended on competent administrators capable of building strong institutions and ensuring the effective management of the game at all levels.
The course brings together administrators from across the country to strengthen their capacity to manage football structures, from grassroots development to elite competitions.
“Sound, professional administration is the bedrock upon which the entire football ecosystem is built,” said Ndebele.
“It creates the conditions in which players can develop, coaches can do their work and competitions can run successfully. It gives our clubs stability and our supporters’ confidence in how the game is managed.”
He said strengthening administrative capacity was among the key priorities identified by the current Zifa executive committee, adding that the country’s football ambitions depended on the effectiveness of the institutions responsible for delivering them.
Ndebele highlighted the influence of administrative decisions on various aspects of the game, including player registration and welfare, competition management, club finances and relationships with sponsors.
“The same is true across our football structures. A league needs reliable fixtures and clear regulations. A club needs proper records and a realistic budget. A sponsor needs confidence that commitments will be honoured. Supporters need accurate information and well-organised events,” he said.
“Each of these depends on administrators who understand their responsibilities and carry them out consistently.”
The Zifa vice-president challenged participants to uphold good governance by applying football regulations fairly, maintaining accurate records and adhering to established institutional procedures.
He identified financial management as another critical area, saying accountability was particularly important for organisations operating with limited resources.
“Every dollar entrusted to us should serve a clear purpose and be properly accounted for. A credible budget, accurate records and honest reporting help an organisation sustain its activities and earn the confidence of potential partners,” said Ndebele.
He also urged administrators to strengthen communication with clubs, players and supporters, noting that timely information and effective planning were essential for the smooth running of competitions and football events.
Ndebele emphasised the responsibility of administrators to safeguard participants and create opportunities for women, young people and communities across Zimbabwe to participate in the game.
He encouraged participants to translate the knowledge acquired during the course into practical improvements within their respective organisations.
“Before you leave Bulawayo, identify a few practical improvements you can introduce in your organisation. You might strengthen your record keeping, clarify committee responsibilities or improve how you communicate fixtures,” he said.
“Choose changes that address real needs, put them into practice and review whether they are working. That is how learning becomes lasting institutional progress.”
Meanwhile, course instructor Archford Mamelodi said the programme was expected to produce 15 prospective national course directors who would help Zifa expand administrative training across the country.
He said the initiative would enable the association to establish its own pool of instructors capable of transferring knowledge and raising administrative standards throughout the football fraternity.
“I have got 15 prospective national course directors. I am praying every day that all 15 make it.
There’s no guarantee. But if they do, then at least Zifa have 15 very, very capable men and women to continue the training of administrators in football,” he said.
Mamelodi described the initiative as a significant milestone for Zimbabwean football, saying developing local instructors would strengthen Zifa’s capacity to deliver training and improve administrative standards.
“From Zifa’s perspective, Zifa is breaking ground as one of the very few, if not the only, African associations to develop its own core of instructors. So it’s a very big step forward in football in Zimbabwe,” he said.
He added that sports administration principles were applicable across different disciplines, allowing the instructors to contribute to capacity-building beyond football.
The programme has attracted participants from different regions and provinces, representing various levels of the football ecosystem, including clubs, academies, the Premier Soccer League, development leagues and schools.
Mamelodi said the long-term value of the course would depend on participants sharing their knowledge with others to improve administration across the game.
“In Zimbabwe, it can only go up because the more people you have who are knowledgeable in administration, the better it will be for development because then they will promote development,” he said.
He urged participants to ensure the benefits of the training reached football structures beyond those represented in the classroom.
“By Friday, what we would like them to do is go out and share with others. It’s all about sharing. Let’s make sure more and more people are in the right direction of learning. In that way, then we know our footballers are safe,” said Mamelodi.
The course covers governance, leadership and planning, finance, communication, competitions, club management, football structures and event management.
Through the programme, Zifa aims to establish a stronger network of knowledgeable administrators who can promote professionalism, improve competition management and contribute to the sustainable development of football across Zimbabwe.
