Government okays return of local football

Soccer lovers in the country are set for a treat, as what former Zimbabwean football great, Moses Chunga described as the World’s Most Beautiful Game returns.

The government through the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) on Monday said medium and high-risk sport including football will soon restart, saying the risk posed by Covid-19 can be managed.

SRC acting director-general Sebastain Garikai made the announcement, adding that clubs and those running the sports should adhere to World Health Organisation protocols and guidelines.

“We believe that a medium or high-risk sport does not remain medium or high risk in perpetuity, but may become low risk where the degree of risk of transmission can be mitigated.

“The risk of transmission of Covid-19 where there is a reasonable frequency of testing, vaccination and stringent containment is low,” he said.

Garikai said the SRC had drawn up proposed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and further proposed conditions for the safe resumption of sport, and would fine-tune the plans in discussion with individual associations.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is also behind the resumption of football.

He recently met with Dynamos and Highlanders football clubs officials, the two teams presented him with soccer jerseys, as token of appreciation.

After the meeting, Mnangagwa announced on his social media handle that he had discussed with these teams the return of football.

“I’ve been speaking to football clubs across Zimbabwe including Dynamos and Highlanders to see how we can safely get players back on the pitch and fans in the stadiums,” Mnangagwa wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, sporting activities, soccer included were put on ice in an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus.

-Zwnews