ZIFA Faces Financial Constraints Due to FIFA Funding Cut Back
By Kwedu News
The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) is currently facing financial challenges after failing to audit its accounts and now ineligible to receive full funding from FIFA .
This was revealed by ZIFA Normalisation Committee (NC) Chairman, Lincoln Mutasa, in a recent interview with a local television channel.
According to Mutasa, Zimbabwe is only receiving restricted funding from FIFA, which is limited to approved projects that require justification and budgeting.
This is a significant setback for ZIFA, which relies heavily on FIFA grants and gate takings from Warriors home matches to sustain its operations.
The lack of audited accounts from the previous FIFA financial disbursements has resulted in Zimbabwe missing out on the annual grant of over $1.25 million that is distributed to all 210 FIFA affiliates.
Mutasa noted that there is a significant amount of money accrued for Zimbabwe at FIFA, but it remains inaccessible until the audited finances are presented.
The current financial situation is further compounded by the fact that ZIFA does not have a sponsor or any fundraising activities.
The closure of the National Sports Stadium due to its failure to meet international standards has also resulted in minimal gate takings for ZIFA, as the Warriors are playing their home matches in other countries.
Despite these challenges, Mutasa has assured that a new ZIFA board and president will be in office by January 31, 2025, and has promised to work towards resolving the financial issues facing the organization.
