Mugabe bemoans lack of support for football

President Robert Mugabe (pic) on Monday said lack of government support to football is preventing the national team from progressing to international tournaments, Zimbabwe's news agency New Ziana reported.

Speaking after he handed the Bob89 soccer trophy to Dynamos Football Club, the team that won this year’s edition of the tournament played in his honor at

State House President Mugabe said he was confident that the national football team could win at international competitions if government increased support to the sport.

“I do not belong to any single team, I support good play and I feel that our soccer should raise itself to a slightly higher level.

“I do not know where we fail when it comes to AFCON and the World Cup.

“Let’s do something about our own soccer. Let us examine where we lack support," he said.

President Mugabe said apart from funding, there was need for government to also invest in sports facilities for the betterment of the country’s performance.

‘The Government is really doing little for soccer. In other countries it is a matter of developing facilities like gym that help them to play better. We need to improve on facilities.

“It is the one sport that I feel requires great support from the State,” he said.

He said the government should channel funds to soccer development as it was the most popular and uniting sport in the world.

“We want to develop it because it is the sport of the world. For one reason or another, soccer is the number one sport. It has a greater fascination than other sport.

“Why should we not develop it?” he asked President Mugabe however said he did not appreciate the financial benefits that local players who are based in foreign countries brought back home.

“I do not know whether it is doing us any good. The players tend to remain abroad and benefit countries abroad,” he said.