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Ray Bande Mutare Bureau
FORTY-four club representatives, mainly drawn from the ZIFA Eastern Region Division One League teams, turned up for the region’s first Football Administration Course in Masvingo during the weekend. ZIFA technical director Wilson Mutekede and Bulawayo-based FIFA football administration instructor Brian Moyo were the facilitators during the two-day course.

The country’s football mother body, who have in the past bemoaned lack of professionalism among affiliate clubs that has resulted in a very slow pace of development of the game in the country, are now conducting administration courses aimed at equipping club and league administrators with the right knowledge.

ZIFA Eastern Region secretary Simba Wisdom, who co-ordinated the Football Administration Course in Masvingo, said unnecessary abandonment of league matches after disputes as well as the lack of adherence to FIFA Club Licensing statutes were expected to be a thing of the past.

“We are happy that we have started the ball rolling and we hope to have similar courses conducted in the other two provinces — Manicaland and Mashonaland East.

“This is to make sure that we cover the entire region.

“In fact, courses in Manicaland and Mashonaland East will be done by the end of this year.

“Our hope is that unnecessary abandonment of league matches after disputes as well as lack of adherence to FIFA Club Licensing statutes will be a thing of the past.

“This is because we are teaching club administrators topics related to those areas in presentations that are being made by course facilitators,” said Wisdom.

The ZIFA Eastern Region secretary encouraged more women to take part in similar courses.

“In line with gender mainstreaming, we urge more women to come on board and take part in these courses. I am happy that we have two women from a marginalised school in the outskirts of Mutare who travelled all the way to Masvingo for this course.

“We hope more women will do so,” said Wisdom.

Among other areas of interest, participants in the Football Administration Course in Masvingo were taken through lessons in FIFA Club licensing, match-fixing, event management, grievance procedure, general planning, organising a meeting, organisation of football clubs, tenets of a good coach, volunteer management and sponsorship.

Apart from participants representing clubs, the Eastern Region board were also in attendance.

Meanwhile, a ZIFA Grassroots Coaching Course — a junior football coaching course — that was scheduled for St Noah High School in Marange failed to take off after prospective participants failed to meet the required number.

Wisdom confirmed they are rescheduling the Grassroots Course while engaging NAPH and NASH to mobilise more participants for the junior football coaching course.