A NEW dawn is upon Zimbabwe football with the national association moving in to identify areas it can help clubs develop junior talent as last month’s visit to Zimbabwe by Fifa president Gianni Infantino begin to bear fruit.

The failure to harness and develop junior talent has been identified as one of the major reasons why Zimbabwean football has failed to reach its potential and Zifa, buoyed by Fifa’s commitment to support their programs have invited clubs to submit budgets with those catering for juniors poised to receive funding.

In a letter addressed to all its affiliates including the Premier Soccer League, the four division one regions, provinces, Naph and Nash Zifa invited clubs to submit their budgets for the upcoming season.

“The Zimbabwe Football Association requests submission of your 2017 budget on or before Friday 17th March 2017,” Mamutse wrote on March 9 to all the four regions.

“The association wish to identify arrears it can assist funding affiliates in line with the presentation by the board member Finance Mr P Machana at the Annual General Meeting of 29th October 2016,” wrote Mamutse.

Zifa advised the call should not be mistaken to mean the financially plagued association was intending to sponsor clubs.

Zifa board member finance Philemon Machana confirmed the association was working on modalities to reward clubs that strive to develop young talent.

“We wrote to all our affiliates to submit their current year budget and from it we, as Finance Committee and Zifa Executive Committee, will then see developmental aspects of the budgets which we may allocate Fifa development funds in the spirit of football development. 

“Basically Zifa intends to put Fifa funds into development not to sponsor Clubs in fact that specific area is prohibited for men senior football but may do for juniors,” Machana told this publication.  

“Zifa is not a sponsor, and any assistance will only go to those affiliates who are in good standing and will follow strict guidelines as set by my Committee in consultation with Executive Committee,” he said.