ZIMBABWE Football Association (Zifa) president Nqobile Magwizi says the country’s ongoing participation in international competitions is key to unlocking football potential and addressing developmental gaps.
Magwizi made the remarks at Gateway High School after Zimbabwe’s Under-15 boys bowed out of the African Schools Continental Championships yesterday, finishing the group stage with two draws and a defeat.
“The more competitions we participate in, the better we become in identifying our problems and seeing areas where we need to improve,” he said.
Magwizi revealed that Zifa is strengthening development structures across all age groups under technical director Dominique Niyonzima, with plans to establish provincial centres of excellence feeding into a national elite talent hub.
“Our broader vision is to make sure that we have centres of excellence per province, and from provinces we also must have a centre of excellence for the national teams,” the Zifa boss said.
Magwizi highlighted that hosting the continental finals brings more than just football, with initiatives such as junior journalist training, medical courses, refereeing programmes, and coaching clinics leaving a lasting legacy.
Keep Reading
- War vets promote peace ahead of March 26
- War vets promote peace ahead of March 26
- ZPRA veterans demand apology
- ZPRA veterans demand apology
“So it helps us to develop our capacity as a football nation, but also it allows us to see our weaknesses, and from those weaknesses, we can then improve ourselves going into the future,” he said.
Magwizi also noted that Zimbabwe continues to gain recognition from the global football community, citing recent successful tournaments hosted in the country.
“Last year we hosted a few tournaments, including the GIFT Cup and the Cosafa Under-17s. It was a successful programme, and there has been clear progression from last year to this year,” Magwizi said.
Looking ahead, he believes Zimbabwe is ready to take on even bigger responsibilities on the continental stage.
Meanwhile, the girls’ team also bowed out of the tournament after losing both of their matches. They opened the day with a 1-0 defeat to the DRC in the morning, followed by a 3-1 loss to Zambia in the afternoon.