The Heart Group, led by Walter Magaya, founder of Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries and owner of Yadah FC, is set to announce a US$320,000 sponsorship deal for the Women’s Football Super League.
This sponsorship is anticipated to significantly benefit the development of women’s football in Zimbabwe, a sector that has faced chronic underfunding and neglect.
Magaya said that this sponsorship, which will support all 16 teams in the top-tier women’s league, is just the beginning, as he has further plans to enhance support for women’s football in the future. He said (via NewsDay):
What we are trying to do is to return women’s football to its former glory. We have put a package that we think can help the league, in particular the girl child to realise her footballing dream. They [women] have long suffered from neglect and we feel the time has come to change all that.
This is only the start. We have more in store for them. Unfortunately, their request came this late when the league season was already halfway through. We are happy to help, and hopefully, a lot of girls are going to benefit.
We hope to see our women’s national team qualify for major global tournaments like what they did in 2016 when they qualified for the Olympics.
We want to see the Mighty Warriors at the World Cup soon and our clubs competing in continental competitions.
Magaya called on business people and corporates to sponsor women’s football in the country. He said:
I am happy that Herentals Queens will compete in the Women’s Caf Champions League, which starts this week. I want to wish them all the best and hopefully, they will bring the trophy home.
That is the level that we want to see our women at and so we are calling on business people and corporates to come and partner with us. Together we can help develop and improve our girls.
Herentals Queens are representing Zimbabwe in the CAF Women’s Champions League COSAFA Qualifiers, which start this Thursday in Blantyre, Malawi.
As the 2021 Women’s Premier Soccer League champions, this will be Herentals Queens’ first time at the regional tournament. Black Rhinos was the first Zimbabwean team to participate in the competition.
Herentals Queens are in Pool A, competing against the University of Western Cape from South Africa, Green Buffaloes from Zambia, and FC Ongos Ladies from Namibia.
The team that wins the tournament will move on to the continental finals and join the current champions, Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, who are automatically qualified as the title holders.
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