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Grace Chingoma

Senior Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWE Women’s Football Super League clubs have requested ZIFA to increase their Covid-19 relief package.

The clubs received $256 000 which was deposited into their bank accounts.

By the time the clubs convened a meeting with their leadership, led by Barbra Chikosi, the money was already reflecting in their accounts.

Each club received $256 000 which, according to last week’s auction rate, translated to about US$3 764.

Currently, there are 19 clubs in the Super League following the promotion of four teams.

Two Bulawayo football powerhouses, New Orleans and Inline Academy, who are not playing in the Super League, are also believed to have received the same allowance from ZIFA.

Clubs feel they need more to help them deal with the challenges they have been facing.

There was commotion at the weekend’s meeting with some clubs unhappy with how their executive had not pushed for them to get more from the relief funds.

Club officials, who spoke to The Herald on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, felt they should have been consulted before the money was disbursed.

The women’s football constituency was awarded US$500 000 by FIFA as Covid-19 relief package.

ZIFA gave women football $32 million but the Super League, who provide most of the players for the national teams, received just $4 million from that injection.

The rest of the money will be distributed to regional football entities and other affiliates who include NASH and NAPH.

“A club has an average of 40 people that is players and club officials, so we will sit down and see how we will distribute the money which was deposited into our accounts,’’ said one of the club’s officials.

“It’s not much but there is nothing we can do.

“We asked our executive how the money was converted, which rate was used but we failed to get answers.

“We were expecting to get at least US$7 000 per club from ZIFA, as the Super League clubs, since we incur a lot of costs.

“We expected clubs to get, at least, half of the US$500 000 while the rest went towards regions and other affiliates such as NASH and NAPH.

“Remember NASH and NAPH are not professional entities and don’t incur direct costs as us.

“Affiliates like NAPH only play football for two months at most, during the school calendar, and honestly they cannot be compared to clubs.’’

Another club official said although ZIFA have pledged to cater for transport, and referees, when football eventually resumes, the challenge was that players and officials were incapacitated and need big help.

“We don’t even know whether football will return and whether some of the players will return to the pitch due to the effects of Covid-19.

“Honestly we feel helpless as we face our constituency with these small allowances which will not sustain our players and the clubs,” said the official.