Zimpapers Logo

Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
THE ZIFA board will meet again this weekend to discuss how the US$1.5 million Covid-19 relief package provided by FIFA will be shared among their affiliates.

From that amount, $500 000 was given to the women’s football constituency.

The association is set to receive a further US$300 000 from CAF after the continental football controlling body decided to provide a relief package for their member associations battered by challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic.

From being one of the poorest sporting associations in the country, weighed down by a mountain of debt, ZIFA have been transformed — thanks to the huge cash injections from FIFA and CAF — into an organisation with a solid financial base.

This has helped ZIFA to pay off, as of today, more than $10 million of the legacy debt which has been choking some of their operations for years.

The association president, Felton Kamambo, revealed at the weekend that they had now settled about 90 percent of that legacy debt.

On Tuesday, Kamambo told The Herald his executive will meet this weekend to decide how they will share the FIFA relief package among their affiliates.

“We are going to do a wholesome distribution of the Covid-19 funding from the US$1.5 million we are set to receive,’’ he said.

“Basically, we are looking at our football pillars and looking at what assistance we can render to clubs.

“There are needs, which have to be attended now, even before we resume games.

“We are also looking at how we can assist all our affiliates. We will deal directly with our affiliates and they will implement the modalities.

“We are not going to micro-manage our affiliates on how they are going to share the money. We are also looking at which assistance can we give, going forward, so it’s not an event but it is a process.’’

Kamambo said at Saturday’s meeting, they will also discuss the FIFA proposals on how associations can access more help.

Kamambo said they want football to return smoothly, and safely, and ZIFA will be involved at each and every stage.

He added that they have to make sure that the women’s football national Super League is also vibrant.