Zimbabwe’s national women's soccer team, the Mighty Warriors, thrashed their Malawian counterpart 8-2 on Monday at Rufaro Stadium in Harare in the Council Of Southern African Football Associations’s Women’s Tournament.
Attending with thousands of Zimbabwean fans was Sepp Blatter, president of the International Federation Of Association Football, on a two-day visit to Harare.
Blatter earlier met with President Robert Mugabe and toured the ZIFA village in Mount Hampden, a sports facility that is expected to host national teams in the future once it is complete, cutting the costs of putting up teams in hotels as is now the practice.
Education and Sports Minister David Coltart, one of the Blatter's hosts, told VOA Studio 7 reporter Marvellous Mhlanga-Nyahuye that the FIFA executive's visit will give the sport a lift and boost the national team's image in the wake of the so-called Asiagate scandal in which players and officials rigged 2009 matches at the behest of Asian bookies.
"Blatter is here at the invitation of ZIFA and we feel honored to host him," said Coltart. He said he hopes FIFA will support ministry projects combining education and sport.
Wellington Mpandare, manager of Zimbabwe's under-23 men’s team, said Zimbabweans were delighted to host Blatter, adding that the home crowd was very pleased with the Mighty Warriors’ performance and hope to see them progress to the title.
