The Zimbabwean Football Association (ZIFA) has called on all junior academies to register with them as part of efforts to formalise junior football in the country.

ZIFA confirmed the new approach in a statement released on Thursday.

“This directive applies to all junior leagues at the Under 13, Under 15, and Under 17 levels and forms part of the Association’s ongoing efforts to standardize, regulate, and strengthen grassroots and youth football development nationwide,” said ZIFA.

“Player registration and competition guidelines will be released in due course.

“All junior leagues and academies will be required to register their teams through the relevant ZIFA Provincial Leagues and ensure that all players and officials are duly registered on the FIFA/ZIFA Connect system.

“This process is designed to safeguard young players, improve data integrity, align Zimbabwean youth football with international best practices, and create clear, credible development pathways.”

ZIFA’s move is seen as a way to protect young players, improve standards, and create real pathways to professional football.

However, there are concerns that the implementation may not be transparent, affordable, and supportive of community academies that are already nurturing talent with limited resources.