Listening Today. Leading Tomorrow: ZIFA Shapes the Future of Zimbabwean Football

The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has embarked on a crucial phase in shaping the future of the game, with internationally renowned football strategist Stewart Regan leading an extensive stakeholder consultation process that will form the foundation of the Association’s Strategic Plan for the 2027–2030 cycle.

Regan, who arrived in Zimbabwe earlier this week, has spent the past three days engaging a broad spectrum of football stakeholders, government officials and business leaders in an inclusive exercise designed to identify the opportunities, challenges and priorities that will define Zimbabwean football over the next four years.

The consultative process reflects ZIFA’s commitment to developing a strategy that is evidence-based, practical and owned by the football community itself, ensuring that every sector of the game contributes to a shared vision for sustainable growth.

Since Monday, Regan has met representatives from the ZIFA Referees Committee, Division One and Division Two football, officials from the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture and the Sports and Recreation Commission, members of the media, corporate and business executives, women’s football representatives and the ZIFA Secretariat. Additional engagements with football academies, player agents, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, the Premier Soccer League and Zimbabwe Women’s Premier Soccer League, and the ZIFA Executive Committee are scheduled to conclude the consultation programme. The objective is to gather diverse perspectives on governance, football development, league structures, stakeholder partnerships and strategic priorities for Zimbabwean football.

Regan brings an exceptional pedigree to the assignment. He previously served as Chief Executive of the Scottish Football Association, Chief Executive of the English Football League Championship, and Chief Executive of Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Today, he is regarded as one of football’s leading strategic consultants, having advised numerous national football associations across the globe, including most recently the Football Association of Ireland, on long-term strategic planning and organisational transformation.

Speaking during the consultation process, Regan praised the openness and enthusiasm demonstrated by Zimbabwe’s football community. “The quality of engagement has been outstanding. Every stakeholder has brought valuable experience, honest perspectives and a genuine desire to see Zimbabwean football succeed. The role of this process is to listen first, understand the realities on the ground and then develop a strategy that is both ambitious and achievable.”

He added that successful football strategies are built on collective ownership rather than individual ideas. “A strategic plan should belong to everyone involved in the game. When stakeholders contribute to shaping the vision, they become invested in delivering it. That is what creates lasting change.”

ZIFA President Nqobile Magwizi said the strategic planning exercise represents one of the Association’s most important initiatives since the election of the current Executive Committee. “The future of Zimbabwean football cannot be built through assumptions. It must be informed by the voices of those who live and breathe the game every day. That is why we have deliberately created a platform where every key stakeholder has the opportunity to contribute to the direction of our football.”

Magwizi said the Association’s vision extends beyond producing another strategic document. “Our objective is to produce a practical roadmap that delivers measurable outcomes. We want a strategy that strengthens governance, develops talent, improves competitions, grows commercial opportunities and ultimately positions Zimbabwean football to compete successfully on the continental and global stage.”

ZIFA Chief Executive Officer Yvonne Manwa described the consultation process as an important exercise in collaboration and institutional development. “The strength of any strategy lies in the quality of the consultation behind it. Bringing together government, football leadership, business, the media and every level of the game ensures that the final strategy reflects both the realities we face and the aspirations we share.”

She added that implementation would be the true measure of success. “This process is about laying a strong foundation for the future. Once the strategy is completed, our focus will shift towards effective execution, accountability and measurable progress throughout the 2027–2030 cycle.”

The strategic planning exercise comes at a pivotal moment for Zimbabwean football as ZIFA continues implementing governance reforms, strengthening football development structures, expanding grassroots participation and enhancing commercial partnerships. The Association also continues to pursue its long-term vision of restoring Zimbabwe’s competitiveness on the African continent while positioning the Warriors and other national teams for sustained international success.

Insights gathered throughout the consultation process will now be consolidated into a comprehensive strategic framework that will guide ZIFA’s priorities, investment decisions and operational programmes from 2027 to 2030.

By bringing together voices from every corner of the football ecosystem, the Association is ensuring that the next chapter of Zimbabwean football is shaped not by a select few, but by the collective wisdom, experience and ambition of the entire football family.

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