Cash-strapped Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) says it is planning to build a hotel as part of the various income generating projects the association intends to roll out to take football to another level.
Speaking on a South African TV Sports Show, ZIFA President Felton Kamambo said his association has come up with a raft of programmes meant to generate income so as to be financially sustainable.
“We have a plan to take our football to greater heights. It is not about the money that we have but the football brains that we have.
“We want to build offices in Eastern and Central regions and create income generating projects to support our game. We also intend to build a hotel at our Headquarters so that it gives us some income”
Kamambo added, “We intend to go into the manufacturing of sportswear and buy a broadcasting house to run it and generate our money while telling our story.”
ZIFA has for long faced mismanagement of funds which left the football mother body crippled and in huge debts.
On the Legacy debt off of $8.4million, Kamambo said: “We are engaging creditors to retire the debt after the previous regime failed to engage them to seek ways of settling it.”
Kamambo said Zimbabwe is a sleeping giant that needs to be awakened to qualify for the World Cup.
He said women’s football is so important and needs to be given special focus by starting from grassroots.
ZIFA President promised to donate footballs to every one of the 841 wards in the country as a way of promoting grassroots.
He also admitted that there is corruption involving coaches and clubs in recruitment after reports players are forced to pay “cuts” to secure contracts with preferred clubs.
He, however, said, that an investigation has been opened and findings will be made public.
