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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter

THE National League is set to get underway this year despite earlier protests by some domestic football stakeholders who felt they needed more time to prepare for the adventure.

Acting ZIFA president Gift Banda revealed after the meeting of the association’s Executive Committee on Friday that a consensus has been reached with some of the parties involved while consultations were still ongoing with the other members.

ZIFA last month advised the four regions that it had resolved to embark on the National League in line with section 10 of the ZIFA Constitution.

They invited four clubs from each region to join the inaugural league. The bottom four clubs that were relegated from the Premiership are also expected to join the new league. The invitations, however, had been met with general apathy. But a resolution was made on Friday for the league to get underway.

“As per the resolution of the Exco, the Association will go ahead with the National League starting in the 2023 season.

“While we are conscious of the concerns of some of our members, the Executive Committee will engage everyone and address their concerns,” said Banda.

An interim executive committee will be set up with members to be seconded from the regions that currently make the country’s four division one leagues — Central, Eastern, Northern and Southern.

“The interim Executive Committee of the National League will be made up of regional committee members. Each region will second two members to the interim committee.

“The Executive Committee is committed to the growth and development of football in Zimbabwe,” said Banda.

However, the ZIFA four regions, namely Central, Eastern, Northern and Southern, last month wrote to the local football motherbody expressing their concerns on the manner the new member was being admitted into the football structures.

The regions had requested ZIFA to defer the National League’s kick-off to next year as well as observe the constitution during the implementation stage.

The regions said their clubs had already made contractual agreements for this season with the promotion matrix in mind.

Banda said the ZIFA Executive Committee found themselves stuck between a hard place and a rock. The implementation of the National League, which is a constitutional requirement, was long overdue and this has resulted in intense deliberations with the members.

“This is an ongoing exercise. We are engaging almost everyone and we are not leaving anyone behind solely because the National Division One League is a constitutional issue that we haven’t adhered to for the past 10 years.

“We can’t wait any longer because it’s affecting the quality of our football. So we are engaging everyone so that we see things with the same eye and sing from the same hymn book as we move forward.

“This National Division One is also one of the recommendations that are coming from the Restructuring Committee and also a recommendation that we as ZIFA members made 10 years ago. When this was done, it was done with the mind of making our football bigger and better,” said Banda.

He said issues of sponsorship and fixtures were still being worked out. However, the club chairpersons from the four regions expressed their misgivings about the timing and strategy.