Real Saints Football Academy founder and technical director, Collin Chinyani, has slammed the Zimbabwe Football Association’s (ZIFA) steep registration and affiliation fees for football academies, labelling them exorbitant and a recipe for elitism.
Speaking exclusively to Fanzone, Chinyani did not mince his words, saying the $3000 registration fee and $2000 annual affiliation fee are a significant barrier to entry for many grassroots academies, contradicting the very purpose of football development.
”By not reviewing these fees, we are promoting elitism at a level where we should be inclusive,” Chinyani said. “We shouldn’t be gatekeepers, but enablers for junior football practitioners.”
Chinyani’s sentiments echo those of former Dynamos FC legend, Murape Murape, who recently blasted the fees as a “step backward” for Zimbabwean football.
The ZIFA board, led by Nqobile Magwizi, is facing growing pressure to reconsider its stance on the fees.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. Chinyani’s Real Saints Football Academy is pushing ahead with its mission to develop young talent, focusing on both football skills and education.
”Our developmental program aims at person and player development,” Chinyani explained. “We develop a player that has performance factors to perform in the Castle Premier League or abroad, whilst ensuring those that fall off the standard have necessary education to be in a vocational career.”
The academy, founded in 2015, has a unique recruitment strategy, scouting players at youth games and assessing applicants individually.
Chinyani believes Real Saints has a vital role to play in feeding professional teams.
”We use a scoring program that assesses players on technical, tactical, physical, and psychological aspects,” Chinyani revealed. “It’s a holistic approach that ensures we’re developing well-rounded individuals, not just footballers.”
As the debate rages on, Chinyani is calling for ZIFA to categorize academies, recognizing the different tiers of development.
Categorizing the academy balances the playing field for elite and common youth football programs.
”We need Elite Academies, Private Academies, and Community Youth Teams, each with their own level of support and resources,” added Chinyani.
