Issued by FIFA.com

Football in Zimbabwe

Football is clearly the number one sport in Zimbabwe, both in terms of the number of active players and attendances at matches. The Zimbabwean national team is currently among the Top 10 in Africa, mainly due to their many appearances in international competitions organised by FIFA, CAF and COSAFA (Confederation of South African Football Associations) at senior and junior level, as well as in women’s football. In Group 6 of the qualifying round for the African Cup of Nations 2004, Zimbabwe finished second behind Mali despite having the same number of points. Their inferior goal difference proved to be crucial in the end. Zimbabwe have won the COSAFA Cup once (2000), and the national youth team has won the COSAFA Cup twice. The women’s team is among the Top 5 in Africa and qualified for the Final of the COSAFA Women’s Cup in 2002. Over 20 Zimbabwean players currently play professional football in South Africa. Other players have made the breakthrough in Europe, including Peter Ndlovu (Sheffield United, England) and Banjani Mwaruwaru (Auxerre, France). George Shaya has been crowned Zimbabwe Player of the Year five times.

Second Goal project

On 2 June 2009, the Goal Bureau approved the Zimbabwe Football Association’s second project, which was necessary to complete and renovate the infrastructures constructed as part of the country’s first Goal project. The improvements made include the completion of the earthwork and construction of a football pitch, the construction of dressing rooms, floodlighting, and improving access routes to the technical centre.