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Philimon Machana

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
THE newly-formed National Football Association of Zimbabwe (Nafaz) is set to start on a sound financial footing through a $500,000 funding under the Fifa Forward Programme financial support for 2016.

Executive committee member responsible for finance Philimon Machana yesterday described the financial assistance as “an excellent start for the new baby”.

The funding replaces a similar programme, which ran under Fifa’s Financial Assistance Programme (FAP) that entitled associations to a maximum of $250,000, which Zifa never enjoyed as the money went towards servicing the huge debt the national association ran up.

In a circular dated June 8 to its 211 associations, Fifa deputy general secretary Marco Villiger said associations that had received funding under FAP would be given the difference of whatever amount they had received.

He invited national associations to immediately apply for the funds.

“Following the approval of the new Fifa “Forward” Development Programme Regulations by the Fifa Council on 9 May 2016, we are pleased to invite you to apply for the additional development programme funding that has been made available for the remainder of 2016. Each member association shall be entitled to receive $500,000 per year to cover ongoing operational costs. This funding will replace that provided under the Financial Assistance Programme (FAP), which entitled members to a maximum of $250,000 per year,” wrote Villiger.

Member associations that had no funds approved under FAP 2016 would be entitled to the full amount, while those that had accessed FAP funds will get the difference, Villiger wrote in his circular.

He said every year $400,000 is allocated for implementation or provision by the member association of at least eight essential elements, which include at least two related to women’s football.

According to the circular, $50,000 shall be made available for any of the following provisions; if the member association employs a general secretary, a technical director; if the member association (or an entity affiliated to the member association) organises a men’s championship or league, organises a women’s championship or league or boys’ (juniors) championship or league.

“The money ($50,000) shall be made available if the member association (or an entity affiliated to the member association) organises a girls’ championship or league, has a strategy for the promotion and development of women’s football and development of grassroots football, a strategy for the promotion and development of refereeing as well as if the member association runs an initiative or project related to integrity or good governance,” reads the circular.

Machana yesterday also revealed that over and above the latest announcement, Fifa president Gianni Infantino announced in Mexico at the last congress that struggling associations would for the next three years get $250,000 per year as transport allowances for their national teams.

“We also have another $500,000 which was approved long ago to go towards the Fifa goal project, but that money was not released because Fifa wanted assurances that whatever would be built will not be attached by creditors. A further $750,000 is also available to purchase infrastructure for the association or start a company and all those funds will now go without any fear, straight into the Nafaz account because we owe no one,” said Machana.

He said they would soon be submitting their application to Fifa.