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Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
THE mini-league set to provide a test case for a proposed return of domestic football activities could cost about US$1.1 million.

ZIFA are confident they will get the green-light, for domestic football to return this week, after meeting Government officials last Friday.

The association are also confident the Warriors will be given the clearance to travel to Malawi, for an international friendly match against the Flames in Blantyre, on Sunday.

Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister, Kirsty Coventry, has also been pushing for a safe return of football.

Coventry believes hosting a mini-league will help in getting, and keeping players in shape while at the same time serving as a test case.

“When the Minister noted that soccer was being taken as a high-risk sport and there is still no approval for resumption of football to date,’’ reads correspondence which was recently sent to the clubs. “Cognisance of the need to have players participate in the international assignments, and the need of fitness, the Ministry and SRC came up with a mini-league concept to assist both men, and women players, to gain fitness ahead of the international assignments.

“The mini-league tournament is going to be used as a test case to open other lower league.

“The Minister also noted that, for the mini-league to be played, players also need to train to be fit for the mini-league.

“The meeting went through the budgets submitted for the mini-league concept for both men and women leagues.’’

The cost of the return was also highlighted.

“The combined budget is US$1,1 million.

“The men budget alone, including prize money, is sitting on US$736 000.

“The Minister was upfront that the Ministry was not funding that budget.

“The idea of the mini-league was to resume football and we are in it together. All stakeholders from ZIFA, SRC, PSL and the Ministry are to come up with their contributions to fund this tournament.

“The Ministry will definitely put something towards the tournament. All stakeholders agreed to work on that.

There have been developments across the region, with regards football’s return, after the Covid-19 break and these include:

The start of the 2020/2021 Malawi football season on November 14, 2020, with the Ecobank sponsored Charity Shield.

The Football Association of Malawi leadership decided at their meeting on Saturday in Nkhata Bay that the league, whose scheduled start in March was halted, will run up to July, 2021.

“Since the league will start without fans, there will be need for special funds to cater for referees and other match expenses, which are normally covered by gate revenue, so, this is why we have decided to allocate the contingency money for this purpose to enable us start football,” FAM general secretary, Alfred Gift Gunda, told Nyasa Times.

South Africa Premier Soccer League chairman, Irvin Khoza, announced last week that their new season will get underway with the MTN8 on October 17 with the DStv Premiership starting on October 24.

In Botswana, national team coach, Adel Amrouche, released his provisional squad for back-to-back games against Zambia in the 2021 AFCON qualifier with the players reporting for camp on Sunday where they underwent Covid-19 testing.

The Zebras and Chipolopolo are in the same qualifying group as the Warriors.

However, the domestic football activities in Botswana are likely to remain suspended until the start of next year despite the lifting of restrictions on sports and recreational activities by the Government, which cover all matches under the jurisdiction of the Botswana Football Association.

The BFA sent a memo to their affiliates on September 22 that organised competitions (in this case leagues and BFA official tournaments) still remain suspended pending further communications from the relevant authorities.

They said given the long lay-off, which has adversely affected the players, there was need to have a comprehensive programme elaborating the process to be adhered to when returning to competitive matches, especially the health of the players and officials.

They also said the BFA Medical Committee had drafted the guidelines which would have to be followed when teams return to play and these will be shared with all the members.

The first registration, transfer and loaning of players for the 2021 football season will open on December 1, 2020, and will close on January 22, 2021, at midnight.

ZIFA president, Felton Kamambo, led football leaders at a meeting with the Sports Commission, and officials from the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, last Friday, to push for permission to resume football activities in the country.

“We were giving them feedback on our board resolutions,’’ said Kamambo.

“We discussed a number of issues so we are just waiting for approval.

“We don’t know when we will get it but I just hope it is sooner and, maybe, this week or even today (yesterday).

“Everyone wants football to return so, as the custodians of the game, on behalf of the nation, we also want football to return and we are pushing for that.’’ Kamambo said they were seeking approval to be granted for FC Platinum, the Mighty Warriors and the Warriors.

“There is the FC Platinum approval we are waiting for. We are also waiting for the approval for the Warriors match against Malawi,’’ he said.

“We are seeking approval for the Mighty Warriors to go play at the COSAFA Championships in South Africa.’’  With three months left before the year ends, Kamambo believes there is still time to play some football, once the nod in has been granted.