Zimbabwe Women Soccer League to Resume Despite Unresolved Issues
The Zimbabwe Women Soccer League (ZWSL) is preparing to make its long-awaited return to action, with the tentative commencement date set for May 11. However, the league’s resumption comes with a cloud of uncertainty, as several unresolved issues continue to linger.
The announcement of the league’s indefinite suspension, which was originally scheduled to begin on April 13, was made by the ZWSL under the instruction of the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA).
The suspension aimed at providing an opportunity for the 16 participating clubs to fulfill certain compliance requirements. These requirements included registering their players on FIFA Connect, paying their affiliations, implementing recommended standard player contracts, and submitting their club constitutions.
In a recent statement regarding the league’s commencement, the ZWSL expressed its delights in announcing the official start date for the 2024 season as May 11, 2024 and reaffirmed its commitment to fostering a thriving women’s football environment in Zimbabwe.
“We are delighted to announce the official start date for the 2024 ZWSL season, which will be Saturday, May 11th 2024,” reads part of the statement on league commencement.
“Your hard work and perseverance in meeting these important requirements are commendable and position the league for a successful and exciting season.
“The ZWSL remains committed to fostering a thriving women’s football environment in Zimbabwe. We are dedicated to providing a platform for talented female athletes to showcase their skills and contribute to the continued growth of the sport in our nation.
“We encourage all clubs to utilize this time to finalize training schedules, team rosters, and any other necessary preparations for the upcoming season.”
However, some promises made by the Theresa Maguraushe-led interim committee have not been fulfilled, leading to concerns among the clubs. Initially, it was indicated that match officials would be paid in advance for the entire season. Additionally, the committee had promised to introduce a fourth official in ZWSL matches, with the officials already being paid in advance. Unfortunately, these commitments have not materialized.
Reports had emerged that ZIFA had set aside US$200,000 from the annual FIFA allocation to Zimbabwe for women’s football. Out of this amount, US$40,000 was intended for the payment of officials and league administration, while the remaining funds were to be distributed among the 16 elite league clubs, with each club receiving US$10,000. However, as of now, none of these financial commitments have been fulfilled. Clubs have been left in a quandary, as they have been asked to conduct player medicals at their own expense and cover the costs of match officials using their own resources.
Dumisani Sithole, the vice-chair of the interim committee and director of Faith Drive Queens, expressed concerns about the current situation.
“We are back to the same way things were running under the old executive. Clubs will have to fend for themselves to run the league and with the challenges rocking women teams, I am afraid some will not be able to fulfil requirements and even the fixtures.
“So far they have back tracked from their initial promises and asked teams to pay officials for the two opening fixtures, hopefully they will fulfil their promises from match day three going forward.
“We do not know what also became the US$10 000 that clubs had initially been promised.”said Dumisani Sithole.
Efforts to obtain clarification on these issues from Ivy Mukanahana, head of the ZIFA Women’s Football Desk, have been unsuccessful thus far.
