Londile Moyo
Veronica Gwaze. [email protected]
ZIMBABWE Women Premier Soccer League (ZWPSL) has set its sights on transforming its clubs into professional entities through the implementation of the FIFA Club Licensing system. This follows the league’s decision to postpone the start of the season from April 5 to April 25, giving clubs additional time to align with the requirements of club licensing.
While it may be too early for clubs to fully comply with all FIFA Club Licensing regulations, the league has indicated that selected provisions will be implemented as a starting point.
ZWPSL chairperson Chido Chizondo said the adoption of the FIFA Club Licensing system would also help to professionalise the league.
“Currently we are in the process of setting up structures for the league which has been running without a professional-systems for close to a decade. Part of the process requires teams to comply with FIFA club licensing demands and pave the way for professionalism to prevail in the women’s domestic leagues.”
Chizondo said the move was primarily aimed at elevating professional standards, opening pathways towards financial sustainability and safeguarding the integrity of competitions.
As a result, by enforcing minimum requirements in sporting, infrastructure, personnel, legal and financial areas, the licensing framework is expected to transform clubs from amateur outfits into well managed and sustainable entities.
“We know this is a long road, especially considering the state of our league but for us to get there, we need to start from somewhere. So far, we are moving slowly and clubs are complying…this week, we will be visiting them (clubs) to assess how far they have gone, establish the challenges some are facing and see the way forward,” she said.
To facilitate club licensing and compliance with other protocols, the league postponed the start of the season from April 5 to April 25.
For years, sponsorship challenges have dominated ZWPSL discussions, with critics often accusing the executive of failing to secure meaningful financial backing for cash strapped clubs. However, without robust structures in place, attracting credible sponsorship has remained a significant challenge for the league.
“To make progress in terms of sponsorship, we need to start by creating an image for our game first. Then we come up with proper structures after which we can go on to talk about everything else including sponsorship… Potential sponsors want to come in an environment that inspires confidence in them, so this is much of what we are working on,” said Chizondo.
ZWPSL is also engaging the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) to assist in sourcing a grant that will help cover operational costs for the season. According to the league, the funding will be directed towards matchday expenses such as payments for match officials, ambulance services and paramedics, among other essential services.
Based on Zifa approved rates, match officials and the match commissioner in the ZWPSL are expected to cost at least US$360 per game.
These costs are to be borne by the home team.
However, stakeholders have raised concerns that the fees may place further strain on clubs, particularly newly promoted sides that are already struggling to meet mandatory affiliation fees.
While some sentiments have called for the executive to secure sponsors, it is important to note that league sponsorship is not intended to cover clubs’ day to day operational expenses.
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Clubs are expected to finance players’ wages, travel and camping allowances, accommodation and other related costs.
However, unlike the men’s league where clubs are generally expected to sustain themselves throughout the season, the situation is markedly different on the women’s side.
Women’s teams, most of which are individually owned, have long struggled to attract sponsorship, compelling the league to play a more active role in facilitating financial support.
“We are aware that league sponsorship is meant for the running of the league and as clubs we also have to find our own sponsorship. It has been difficult for us to convince sponsors; they do not see value for their money in the women’s game and for us to rewrite that narrative, the league executive should play the leading role. An enhanced image for the league is also good for clubs, it becomes easier for us to attract funding…we are not folding hands, we need to work together,” revealed the clubs.
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