The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) and the politics of football administration in Zimbabwe: A sociological analysis.

Abstract

Football is the most popular sport globally and in Zimbabwe. However, football has recently been affected by numerous scandals ranging from corruption and match fixing, leading to the arrest and removal from office of prominent global football administrators. This study particularly focuses on football administration in Zimbabwe - specifically on the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA), which is the highest football administrative authority in Zimbabwe. The research explains the nature and dynamics of football administration in Zimbabwe, tracing from the period 1980 to present day, highlighting how football is a political space which attracts the interests of national politicians and how football administration reflects the pattern of mainstream politics where such issues like gender, class and ethnicity influence the potential of an individual to become a ZIFA football administrator. The paper also assesses the challenges faced by ZIFA, locating the sources of some of the challenges to challenges faced by the wider society. Methodologically, the study utilizes a qualitative approach to try and unearth the deep underlying issues affecting the Zimbabwe Football Administration and football administration in Zimbabwe in general.