MINISTER of Sport and Recreation Makhosini Hlongwane says funding remains an integral part in determining the country’s success in the sector following a dismal performance by the Mighty Warriors at the Africa Women Cup of Nations.

The Mighty Warriors who returned home last week crashed out of the tournament, which ended on Saturday in Cameroon winless in the group stage.

Hlongwane said funding was a major handicap for the women’s team which apparently left for the tournament poorly prepared.

“Let me approach this matter from this perspective, the one thing that is a constant in terms of development of sport in the country is funding or rather let me say resource mobilisation or resource provision. That sits at the centre of what we can do and what we cannot do as a country,” said Hlongwane.

The Minister emphasised on the need to have proper defined structures in place as well as investing in development for women football to realise its full potential.

“The crucial lesson that we draw from this is that we should invest in development. We should invest in development structures. Our women football in Zimbabwe suffers from lack of clearly defined structures.  It is the case across the African continent but we must do better than that.

“That’s why we called previously about two months ago for a speedy resolution of the women football dispute by ZIFA, so that we do not continue to have these things that are disturbing so to speak at the ability of women football realising its full potential.

“So investment into development, investment into the structures, investment into preparations, those are very important matters that we think should seize the sector.

“Capacity building of both the players as well as our coaches is also important. It’s a whole gamut of issues that come together and coalesce around whether we succeed or we do not succeed as far as performance on the field of play is concerned,” said Hlongwane.

Going into the tournament, coach Shadreck Mlauzi had hoped to reach the semi-finals. But their opponents, South Africa, Egypt and Cameroon in Group A proved to be too good for Zimbabwe.

The team got into camp two weeks before the tournament started in Cameroon and they managed to pick just a point from a goalless draw against South Africa. They went on to lose 0-1 to Egypt and 0-2 to Cameroon to finish on the bottom of Group A.