The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) is stepping up to host another major regional event, the inaugural CAF U17 Girls Integrated Football Tournament (GIFT) Cup for the COSAFA region, scheduled for December 8 to 18, 2025. This high-profile development comes hot on the heels of the country's successful staging of the TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations COSAFA Qualifiers for boys in September, which took place in Harare and Norton.
The announcement was cemented by a high-level planning meeting held today at ZIFA headquarters, where the Executive Director of the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA), Sue Destombes, and her deputy, Francis Makonese, met with ZIFA General Secretary Yvonne Manwa. The discussions focused on technical readiness, infrastructure assessment, tournament logistics, and long-term legacy initiatives for women's football development.
Zimbabwe's selection to host the second edition of the GIFT Cup—and the first ever in the COSAFA region—is seen as a massive vote of confidence from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in the country's improved football structures and new ZIFA leadership.
The GIFT Cup is an annual CAF initiative designed to foster structured and competitive football for girls under the age of seventeen at the club and academy level. It aims to cultivate technical discipline, tactical awareness, and leadership values among emerging players.
The 2025 tournament will feature girls' clubs from eight different COSAFA nations, transforming Zimbabwe into a continental hub for youthful talent and cultural exchange.
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ZIFA President Nqobile Magwizi expressed profound gratitude for the trust placed in the association by CAF and COSAFA.
“We are honoured by CAF’s trust and COSAFA’s partnership,” said Magwizi. “The GIFT Cup is not just a tournament, it is an investment in the dreams of young African girls who deserve platforms to shine. Zimbabwe will ensure this event leaves a lasting developmental footprint in our communities and inspires a new generation of women’s footballers.”
The planning meeting with COSAFA was critical to ensuring the competition aligns fully with CAF's continental framework. Discussions specifically covered opportunities for capacity-building across coaching, refereeing, medical, and administrative departments, aiming for benefits that will strengthen Zimbabwe's broader football ecosystem long after the final whistle.
ZIFA has already begun assessments of host grounds, training venues, and accommodation clusters to ensure seamless delivery, with Magwizi highlighting the tournament’s potential to significantly contribute to sports tourism and stimulate local industries.
The hosting of the GIFT Cup follows closely on the heels of the successful September staging of the CAF U17 AFCON COSAFA Qualifiers for boys, which saw matches played at the Heart Stadium in Harare and Ngoni Stadium in Norton. The back-to-back hosting of regional youth tournaments underscores Zimbabwe’s growing reputation as a capable and progressive football nation and demonstrates a renewed national commitment to developing youth football for both boys and girls.
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