Zifa pulls junior teams from Cosafa

The Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) has stopped sending junior national teams to international tournaments simply to fulfil fixtures, saying the move is part of a broader strategy to rebuild the country's player development pathway.

The decision became apparent yesterday when Zimbabwe's Under-20 side was absent from the draw for the upcoming Cosafa Under-20 tournament to be hosted by Mauritius.

Zifa said it had taken "a deliberate strategic decision" regarding the participation of its junior national teams in international competitions, arguing that teams should only compete when they are adequately prepared.

"Our approach is no longer simply to fulfil fixtures or enter tournaments for the sake of participation. We want every national team that represents Zimbabwe to do so with adequate preparation, a properly identified player pool and a clear technical programme," Zifa said.

The association said the decision not to send the Young Warriors to Mauritius should be viewed within the broader framework of its Dream2030 strategy.

According to Zifa, it is strengthening the player development pathway that will feed into the various junior national teams. This includes establishing a structured scouting system to identify talent through domestic competitions and development programmes such as the BancABC Roots Impact Programme and the Zifa Munhumutapa Challenge Cup.

"These platforms are giving young players meaningful competitive football while allowing our technical structures to identify and track talent across the country," the association said.

Zifa also said it would soon appoint national team coaches across the different age groups.

The coaches will be responsible for scouting, player development, selection and preparation well ahead of international assignments.

"Our objective is to move away from assembling teams at short notice simply because a fixture or tournament is on the calendar," Zifa said.

"When Zimbabwe sends a junior national team into competition, we want that team to be properly selected, adequately prepared and genuinely competitive."

However, the decision means Zimbabwean youngsters will miss an important regional platform at a time when other young players are preparing to compete for a place at the continental finals in Ghana.

The Cosafa draw conducted yesterday produced three groups. Hosts Mauritius were drawn in Group A alongside Namibia, Seychelles and Mozambique, while Group B features regional heavyweights South Africa, Lesotho, Angola and Eswatini.

Group C comprises Zambia, Malawi, Comoros and Botswana.

Zimbabwe is conspicuous by its absence.

The withdrawal is likely to disappoint young players who viewed the Cosafa tournament as a potential launching pad for professional careers and international recognition.

Zimbabwe has traditionally been regarded as a producer of talented young footballers, but the absence of the Young Warriors from the tournament raises questions about the immediate opportunities available to the country's emerging players.

Zifa, however, maintains that the long-term benefits of rebuilding the junior structures outweigh short-term participation.

"This is a long-term process, but it is an important part of building the player pathway envisioned under Dream2030," the association said.

"The ultimate objective is to develop generations of players who progress systematically through our junior national teams and are ultimately equipped to compete for places in the senior national team."

The overhaul comes as the senior Warriors prepare for the next phase of their international programme, including the build-up to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

A functioning junior national team structure is expected to be central to creating a steady pipeline of players capable of eventually making the transition to the senior national side.

The Full Draw
Group A
Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles, Mozambique
Group B
South Africa, Lesotho, Angola, Eswatini
Group C
Zambia, Malawi, Comoros, Botswana.