Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIFA’S commitment to revive domestic football will soon start to bear fruit.
This comes after the association met with administrators from provinces, districts and area zones to engage, plan and realign their structures in line with the recently introduced competitions.
The workshop was focused on the Talent Development Scheme (TDS), the BancABC Roots Impact Programme and the ZIFA Munhumutapa Challenge Cup.
ZIFA also shared plans for a new grassroots competition aimed at developing young talent, including female players.
The proposed junior league is designed to provide a structured pathway from school-level football to national representation.
Speaking to Zimpapers Sports Hub, Competitions and Projects manager, Kudzai Chitima, said:
“This was largely meant to strengthen understanding, bring cohesion and improve coordination across all ZIFA affiliates.
“We want to create a conducive environment for the roll out of the various programmes that ZIFA are trying to implement this year.”
Under the TDS, ZIFA intend to identify talent at a young age (grassroots) and through their structures nature the athletes into a competitive environment.
These athletes will be earmarked to eventually form the core of the national junior and senior teams.
“Now there is also the BANCABC Roots Impact League which was launched, here we are trying to create structures and competition at grassroots level.
“Teams will select each other in their respective provinces, come up with a provincial team (selects) who will converge for back-to-back competitions translating to 18 years each.”
This, said Chitima, is meant to provide more game time, exposure and also allow for national team coaches to have a wider pool of players for selection.
The Roots Impact League will largely target the Under-14 and Under-16 age-groups while the TDS also targets the Under-13s, Under-15s and Under-17s.
During the meeting, it was also revealed that the Munhumutapa Challenge Cup is scheduled to get underway in May, with the tournament draw pencilled for next month.
The competition will bring together teams from lower divisions through to the elite level, following a format modelled on England’s iconic FA Cup.
