THE Zifa normalisation committee has expressed the desire to see the national teams thrive on the international stage and feels the association has a role to play in the success matrix.
Zimbabwe has just returned to international football after a 17-month suspension by Fifa as the senior women’s team is taking part in the Cosafa Cup while the Warriors kick-off their World Cup qualifying campaign next month.
Without an international friendly secured for next week’s Fifa international break the normalisation committee intends to hold a regional selection tournament to begin preparations for the World Cup qualifiers.
According to Zifa the four-team tournament will include a northern and southern region side as well as a diaspora team made up of unheralded foreign-based players.
Despite the criticism from some quarters for this selection tournament, the normalisation committee chairman Lincoln Mutasa reiterated the commitment to see the national teams win.
“Success in football is largely measured by winning and as the normalisation committee we want to see all our teams winning. I believe we have hardworking players and they need to understand that the ball is round. It can only go the direction you kick it and as a result you can beat anyone,” Mutasa told Standardsport.
“It’s not only talent that can make the national teams win matches, but the administration and organisation of the sport also plays a big role. We can have all the talent, but that does not translate into a winning team and I feel it has been our challenge in the past.
“We are really trying to get the cream de la cream to see all the talent there is in the country. We believe there is a lot of talent in the regions. "Remember some of our players who found their way to European leagues have never played in the league. I believe we can capture that hidden talent through this tournament.
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“People are always telling us that they have players, who are good enough for the national teams but the people who make decisions are the coaches so this is the opportunity. This is an opportunity for all our players to come together and also this is a way of making good use of the Fifa window.”
He said the coaching department led by Baltemar Brito has completed the process of identifying foreign-based players whom they would like to look at during the regional event
The Warriors begin their 2026 World Cup qualification in Group C with a trip to Rwanda on November 13 before hosting Nigeria seven days later; at an alternative venue since all local stadia are not fit to host international matches.
It has been three months since the normalisation committee was appointed by Fifa to run the Zifa affairs and the association feels it has made some progress during the period.
“We have been making steady progress since we came in and we have been able to settle into new premises. We are trying to create a new brand for our football and that takes time. But we are well on course to achieve that,” Mutasa said.
Meanwhile, Zifa is expected to announce the new chief executive officer in the next few days with Nyasha Kadenge, who held the same role at Ngezi Platinum in the past believed to be the successful candidate.
