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US$37 000 they are entitled to from a Fifa grant to Zifa.
In the past, the money which is part of Fifa’s Financial Assistance Programme to affiliate associations, was being diverted to other football uses.
The women’s game is entitled to 15 percent from the US$250 000, which Fifa disburses to Zifa annually, and this money is meant for development, capacity building and administration.
By the end of this month the league will have an initial injection of US$10 000 into their coffers which should go towards capacity building.
The money is strictly for development and not meant for funding the league or financing national teams’ activities and trips.
Last year Zifa president Cuthbert Dube pledged that the women Fifa grant would go to its intended beneficiaries departing from the trend set by previous boards who channeled the money to the men’s game.
ZWFL chairperson Mavis Gumbo revealed to the councillors at the weekend that Zifa had assured them that they would get their grant.
Yesterday Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze reiterated that the money was ready and would be deposited into the women’s account.
“It is a tight funding that goes to support part of the activities on the women’s calendar from their four-year plan.
“The money is now available and the onus is now on them on how to use it. It is purely for development and manning the women’s desk,” said Mashingaidze.
Gumbo’s board has since appointed Alice Mwale to run the desk, which falls under Zifa’s Technical Director Nelson Matongorere’s portfolio.
Matongorere also oversees the coaches’ desk, which is manned by Vivian Tshuma who is responsible for organising coaching clinics while the referees’ desk, which is yet to appoint an administrator.
Mashingaidze said the ZWFL had done their submissions on how they wish to spend their first lot.
“Part of the money was used in setting up a women’s desk which is now operational. The money would also be used for development, holding courses at area zone and districts for referees and administrators as well as purchasing training equipment for the juniors.
“We also want to have special courses for women coaches instead of them attending the men’s courses where they may fail to clearly express themselves. On the referees front, women have been doing very well and we now have some on the Fifa panel but we would want to have more female officials at schools,” said Mashingaidze.
Meanwhile, the league is set to take part in the Independence Cup, which will be played in Harare and Bulawayo next month. Northern Region champions Cyclone, Bulawayo giants Inline, Masvingo Queens and Chipembere from Gweru will lock horns in the semi finals which will culminate in the finals on April 18.