Football stakeholders have widely welcomed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to introduce year-round football in schools.
The agreement, which is set to begin in 2026, has been hailed as a long-overdue and essential step for the development of the sport, Zimbabwe's flagship national game. It is also expected to unlock more FIFA and CAF support for the schools’ game.
The MoU was formalized by ZIFA President Nqobile Magwizi and the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Moses Mhike.
Former Dynamos Coach and respected development guru, Lloyd ‘Mablanyo’ Chingowe, expressed deep satisfaction with the initiative, noting that the idea was first proposed decades ago.
"This is a welcome initiative," Chingowe said. "This recommendation was made by the late Reynard Fabisch back then and it was never implemented. We are happy because in recent times, football in schools was reduced to 15-minute tournaments."
He stressed the importance of the change, arguing that football "should be treated as an important activity" rather than being relegated to a mere extra-curricular pastime.
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The Premiership's 1996 Soccer Star of the Year, Stewart Murisa, joined the chorus of praise, stating he was "so delighted with the step which ZIFA took."
Murisa believes the current administration is moving the sport in the right direction and proposed a way to leverage the experience of former players.
"We hope ZIFA will also engage former players to adopt maybe the schools which shaped them to help as coaches," he suggested. "It will be good for me to go and coach at Shingai Primary School, the school which made me."
Charles Manjera, former CAPS United Player and owner/coach of Dreamers Academy, supported the move, stating, "If kids play football all year round, it will definitely mean that we will not have half-baked players at the highest level, and this will allow us to compete at the highest level in the world."
Murape Murape, a former Dynamos Captain and head of Technical and Coaching at Real Oviedo Heritage Football Academy, was equally enthusiastic.
"The day has finally come! I am absolutely thrilled about the partnership," he said. "As someone who has been advocating for this initiative for years, I can see the immense potential it holds for Zimbabwean football. This partnership will be a game-changer for our young players, providing them with more opportunities to develop their skills, receive proper training, and compete at higher levels."
Murape added that for too long, promising players have "fall[en] through the cracks due to inadequate infrastructure and coaching."
"But with ZIFA and the Ministry on board, we can finally start building a strong foundation for our football future," he concluded, extending "heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the ZIFA board and secretariat for their tireless efforts and dedication."
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