ZIFA technical development committee chairperson Kenneth Mhlophe said they have set the revival of national junior football across the country as one of their top priorities.
For a longtime, junior football development has been neglected in the country, with established topflight teams even resort to the disgusting trend of recycling old players.
As a result, national junior teams’ slide in the past years has been extremely alarming. And with the country currently banned from international football, Mhlophe said his committee is seized with ensuring junior football structures are put in place.
“We need especially, to revitalise our junior soccer leagues and ensure that they are equipped with enough resources for them to reach their full potential,” Mhlophe told the Daily News.
“Currently, we have a situation where Zifa cannot effectively police junior development in the country and this is not good for football. There should be structures in place. We need vibrant junior football. The national junior league seizes to compete a long time ago and it must be resurrected.
“We want to have a situation where we will have national junior teams from Under-13 to Under-23. This is the only way we can keep track of the young talent we have in the country.”
The national Under-17 team finished bottom of their group in 2017 without a single point at the Cosafa Championships in Mauritius.
The team, which was under Moses Chunga scored once while conceding 10 times including five in a single tie against Malawi.
The following year saw the Young Warriors at the same tournament once again anchor their group with no point from three matches in a group that had Malawi, Swaziland and Angola. The only improvement was that they scored three times but conceded 10 goals.
In 2019, Zifa failed to send a team to the tournament citing economic challenges. The national Under-20 side last won the Cosafa Cup in 2007 when Rodwell Dhlakama was the coach.
The Under-17 and 20 national sides last participated in Caf competitions a long time ago and in recent years junior football has been on a freefall.
Apart from the revival of junior football, Mhlophe insists his committee will also not climb down on their decision stop coaches without requisite qualifications to sit on the bench.
“Coaches must comply! There is no need of having under qualified coaches on the bench. There are 70 coaches with Caf licences and there is no justification of not having qualified coaches,” said Mhlophe.
With coaching courses currently underway, Mhlophe urged women coaches to participate.
“We are also seized with coaching courses at the moment. We have already completed in Harare and Bulawayo. The next stop now is other provinces like Matebeleland South, Masvingo, Midlands, Manicaland and others,” Mhlophe said.
“I also want to encourage more women to participate. As yopu are aware all the premiership teams are now required to have women’s teams as part of Caf Club Licensing. It will be nice to see these clubs coached by women as a way of empowering them.”
The former Bosso chief Mhlophe was co-opted onto the Zifa board together with Northern Region chairman Martin Kweza and PSL governor and Harare City chairperson Alois Masepe.