Story by Reynald Ngwarati
THE Zimbabwe FUTSAL community is eyeing a shot at international games despite missing out on the FUTSAL Africa Cup of Nations which are also doubling as the World Cup Qualifiers slated for neighbouring Mozambique.
Having missed out on a chance to represent the nation at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations to be played in April, FUTSAL executives have swiftly shifted focus to the COSAFA games expected in May this year.
Initial engagements between the FUTSAL Executive Council and the ZIFA Normalisation Committee progressed at a slow pace resulting in Zimbabwe missing out on the deadline to play qualifiers of the continental five aside tourney set for Maputo.
“There was a possibility of a late entry, but the matches have already been played and the AFCON will be played in April, but there is a tournament that is coming up soon which the logistics are being settled by our normalisation committee now,” said FUTSAL Northern Region League Secretary, Gilmore Nengomasha.
There is however renewed optimism that the normalisation committee will speed up discussions with other regional federations ahead of the Futsal COSAFA tournament.
“We are having a meeting with them on the 6th of April that is when they will be giving us the road map towards that, but they also have already started negotiating with the FUTSAL community all over in the CAF so that we get the ball rolling, so that we have the COSAFA tournament in May most probably,” he added.
Whilst they wait for the ZIFA Normalisation Committee, the FUTSAL executive is proceeding with the selection of national team players from across the Northern and Southern Leagues.
The FUTSAL team last represented the nation in 2012 and more than a decade later, they are looking for support from the local football governing body and corporates to challenge on the continent again.
