Nkosilathi Sibanda — When Nomsa "Boyz" Moyo looks back at her career as a football player, she reflects on the good, the bad and the ugly.
She passed with flying colours in every game she played and after retiring as a player, she decided to become a coach and mentor.
Leading the Mighty Warriors as captain helped shape her strong character, reinforcing her belief that football offers numerous opportunities.
As she compares her time as a player and how the game has evolved over the years, Moyo's heart bleeds. There is still no sound sponsorship. Money is talked of in hushed tones in the corridors of women's football.
The Zimbabwe Women Football's begging bowl has passed many hands and met a few takers.
Moyo and the rest of the players who carved the future of women's football have seen no changes at all since 1988 when the sport took off. What pains her heart is that years down the line, female footballers play for nothing. They are not paid.
The sight of smiles and celebrations when the girls score or when they do their war cries, is a stark contrast of the ugly side.
Moyo is not the only one concerned.
Football administrators also speak with heavy hearts. Their response to the status of women's football is first met with a sigh, one of near despair.
In the joy that has come about in empowering the girl child to play football, there is a deep concern over the players' welfare.
The overall call is that player welfare has to be addressed fast.
Moyo pleads for mileage and improvement of players' welfare.
"We need to increase the visibility of our programmes and media coverage for women's football. I believe this will raise awareness, attract sponsors, and generate fans' interest. Another aspect that we continue to identify as a propeller to growing women's football is to avail opportunities to players and all who are involved in the day-to-day running of the game.
"There is a need to promote professionalism through expanding professional opportunities for women footballers. Our players have to be exposed to clubs elsewhere. If we are to be serious about being professional we have to create contracts and improve players' welfare including healthcare and compensation over quality and sustainability of women's football, for example, better salaries or wages.
"Women football players should be given better wages that can sustain their own needs and family. It's impossible to be a complete player without a healthy and balanced lifestyle," said the all-time Mighty Warriors legend.
Moyo took a dig at the conduct of some players, which she said was a hindrance to their turning professional.
"At times being a football player, whether for a woman or man, comes with a lot of pressure. Some players quickly take to the bottle and drink their talents away. That also includes abusing drugs and chasing the celebrity lifestyle. That causes an inability to handle pressure."
Seeing players going home after a match, unpaid, hungry and tired has got one veteran administrator, Susan Chibizhe, a worried woman over the years.
Chibizhe was there when women's football gained momentum in the late 1990s.
She said there has to be equal representation at positions of influence if problems bedevilling women footballers are to be taken seriously.
"If women's football representatives are given a chance to sit on the Zifa board, it will be better. There is no equal representation or influence at the higher level. If such persists, there is no way we can say women's football can grow. We have to copy what other countries, who are successful are doing.
"The other issue that needs to be highlighted is the composition of the Normalisation Committee. We need football people. It is pleasing that there is Rosemary Mugadza, who has a passion for women's football. We hope that our concerns are addressed. Let there be a quota system, like what happens in other sports leadership structures," said Chibizhe.
Football administrator and staunch women's sports rights advocate, who helped Highlanders to the national league, Samukeliso Silengane said female footballers bore the brunt of playing for nothing in the wake of a system that purports to support football development.
"I will talk of the issue of remuneration. Most players are not getting anything. For those that get paid, the money is little. It is a sad reality that with all the positive work done to develop women's football, the key stakeholders, that is players, have nothing to show for their brilliance and dedication to play. Something just has to give in. We need to be proactive and change the status of our players for the better.
"If resources are availed, let us push that women get equal support. For people to see how serious we are in developing women's football, there has to be enough media coverage and that can attract the much-needed sponsorship," said Silengane.
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Asked what needs to be done, Young Flying Stars Sports Academy director Collen Nyambiya said:
"Ladies football needs a lot of hard work because there is no funding. There are a few people fully committed to supporting women's football financially. The last time we witnessed support for women was when there was Rosemary Mugadza, Nomsa Moyo, and other players. We were supposed to carry on from there, but nothing was done.
"There's a lack of junior structures and even a policy to that effect. We must have a junior league for the girls. If it is difficult, I suggest we integrate the girls into the boys' teams and compete so that we catch them young. Everything starts from development stage because if there is no development, there is no growth.
"Women in football are always overlooked, especially on the issue of salaries and allowances. In tournaments, there is less money for girls and more for boys. I feel that is unfair because a child is a child, and all play the same game," he said.
Despite being almost close to 40 years old in Zimbabwe, only a few fans are prepared to pay and watch the women's game. Perhaps the challenge is for those involved to work hard and brand it.
