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Fungai Muderere, [email protected]
THE Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) is hosting the CAF Safe Stadium Initiative Workshop which started on Tuesday in Harare.
The workshop’s aim is to promote a safe stadium culture across Africa and Zifa are not taking chances in their bid to comply with the Confederation of African Football (Caf) stadium safety and security requirements and have lined up the high-level workshop for Premiership, Women’s, and Division One clubs.
The three-day workshop will conclude on Thursday.
CAF experts — Xolile Nokuthula Vilakati from Egypt and Abdul Lukooya Sekabira from Uganda — will lead a discussion at the workshop. ZIFA said in a statement that they were expecting 40 participants for the seminar which will cover a host of issues related to the safety of players, spectators, and even service providers inside a stadium.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) is pleased to announce the upcoming Safe Stadium Initiative Workshop, scheduled to take place from July 30 to August 1, 2024. This workshop marks a significant step towards enhancing stadium safety and security in Zimbabwe and across the African continent.
“The workshop will be conducted by instructors from the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Xolile Nokuthula Vilakati from Egypt and Abdul Lukooya Sekabira from Uganda will lead the training sessions, bringing their extensive expertise and experience in stadium safety and security management,’’ Zifa said.
“The event will also be honoured by the presence of representatives from both CAF and FIFA, underscoring the importance of this initiative. Participants in the workshop have been drawn from the Premier Soccer League and the Zimbabwe Women’s Soccer League, alongside security officers from the regions, making a total of 40 participants. This diverse group of attendees reflects the collaborative effort to improve safety standards in football stadiums nationwide.’’
Zifa also underscored the significance that CAF have been attaching to safety and security, even in the manner they go about licencing a stadium for international matches.
CAF requires, among a host of demands, that a stadium must be issued with a safety and security certificate before it can be homologated.
“The CAF safety and security department, established on the 3rd of February 2019, has been pivotal in setting standards for safety and security operations across all member associations in Africa.

“In June 2024, the department conducted an online conference to introduce the safe stadium initiative to all member Associations’ general secretaries and presidents. During this launch, the commitment to train 40 individuals per member association was announced, reinforcing the department’s dedication to continuous education and training. The department is committed to the ongoing training of CAF safety and security officers, national safety and security officers, club Safety and security officers, and all strategic stakeholders responsible for safety and security operations during CAF and member associations football competitions and tournaments.
“With this workshop, CAF is ready to provide crucial training to all interested member associations aiming to enhance stadium safety and security in their countries. ZIFA has adopted a proactive approach to ensure the efficient and effective implementation of CAF safety and security regulations in Zimbabwe. This initiative aims to benefit all stakeholders,’’ added Zifa-@FungaiMuderere