FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who has been in the country on an 18-hour visit to Zimbabwe, paid a courtesy call to the President Robert Mugabe before departing for Uganda on another mission late Friday afternoon.

The Swiss-Italian lawyer was the guest of honour at a glitzy function to celebrate ZIFA president Philip Chiyangwa’s 58th birthday and his recent ascension to the COSAFA throne.

And after meeting the President, Infantino reiterated his earlier commitment to help Zimbabwe turn a new page in their football development efforts.

The FIFA boss said he was impressed by the commitment shown by President Mugabe’s Government towards the development of football in the country.

He had also addressed a joint press conference with Minister of Sport and Recreation Makhosini Hlongwane and ZIFA president Philip Chiyangwa after a meeting in which the world football governing body agreed to fund Zimbabwe’s special development projects.

“The efforts by Government, it ’s impressive. We have been spending lots of time, some hours with the minister and of course with the President. It’s impressive the detail in which they are involved; it’s impressive the quality of work that has been done and the cooperation also which has been made with the other sports bodies.

“Of course one of the FIFA principles is non-interference of Governments in football affairs but this is for the sporting side and for the development of the game and we are cooperating as partners At the end of the day it’s a win-win situation,” said Infantino.

 “We have been discussing football in general, about football in Zimbabwe, about what we can do together with the football association and the government to develop football in this country.

“There are some incomplete projects which have started and which are fully supporting. We would like to thank the Government for having raised these projects, like the one to create and set up 8 000 football clubs around the whole country to develop and foster grassroots football, all this in a structured way.

“We have also been discussing the project of national football academy with ZIFA. So we are co-operating. FIFA is helping and investing together with our partners at ZIFA in cooperation with government to make sure that these projects will revolutionarise football in this country and bring the legacy to everyone,” said Infantino.