A Partnership That Rebuilds Hope

By Nqobile Magwizi, President – Zimbabwe Football Association

When we speak of rebuilding a nation, we often begin with roads, power lines, and infrastructure. Yet the most enduring reconstruction is the one that happens in the hearts and minds of our children. That is where this partnership between the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) and the Government of Zimbabwe, acting through the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE), finds its deepest meaning.

This agreement, enshrined in our recently signed Memorandum of Understanding, is more than an administrative accord. It is a commitment to give every Zimbabwean child, from Lupane to Mutoko, from Gwanda to Mutare, the right to learn, to play, and to grow under a structured football-education framework.

It is, in every sense, a partnership that rebuilds hope.

In Article 1 of the MOU, both ZIFA and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education commit to “promoting the development of football in schools across Zimbabwe through integrating structured football programs into the national education system.”

This is not a slogan, it is a policy revolution. For the first time in our history, football is formally recognized as a component of education. It is part of a pupil’s holistic development, shaping not only players, but also responsible citizens. The success of this vision will not be measured by trophies alone, but by the discipline, teamwork, and resilience our young people carry into every aspect of their lives.

Under this partnership, ZIFA provides the technical leadership, the coaching, the structures, and the safeguarding systems, while the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education ensures access to every school, every province, every child. This alignment ensures no talent remains hidden behind geography, gender, or circumstance.

As stipulated in Article 2 of the MOU, the program will be implemented “in all provinces and districts of the Republic of Zimbabwe,” creating a truly national framework. It will feed directly into the creation of ten provincial junior teams for Under-13, Under-15, and Under-17 boys and Under-17 girls, and form one national league for each age group, which we aim to launch before the end of the year, so that the games can take place between February and September 2026. Through these leagues, Zimbabwe will not only rebuild its footballing culture, but it will restore the spirit of organized, disciplined sport as a national virtue.

Our agreement goes beyond sport. It protects children. Article 2.2.7 of the MOU mandates the “promotion of pupil-safeguarding principles and child-protection awareness across all football activities.” That clause defines our humanity. It ensures that as we nurture skills, we also protect innocence. It assures parents that football in schools will be governed by the same ethical codes that guide classrooms, safety, respect, and dignity.

Football becomes not only a game, but a shield and a classroom in motion.

The MOU also establishes, under Article 7, a Joint Implementation Committee (JIC), which is a mechanism that compels both ZIFA and MoPSE to “convene quarterly, assess progress, and produce periodic reports.”This structure is our safeguard against complacency. It turns promises into measurable outcomes.

We will be judged not by what we announce, but by what we deliver.

This partnership is a new beginning. It is a declaration that Zimbabwe will invest in its children with the same seriousness it invests in its economy. It is an act of faith, faith that when we teach our children to play with discipline, they will one day lead with integrity. As we march toward the 2026 Provincial Junior Leagues, let us remember that football is not just about goals scored, but lives shaped. It is not just about competition, but contribution.

In this partnership, we are building more than players. We are building a generation. We are rebuilding hope.

This foreword introduces the five-part ZIFA & Government Football Education Reform Series (2025–2030), unpacking how this partnership transforms policy into structure, and structure into opportunity.

More News