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Message: [QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 27234, member: 2262"] ZIFA wants to help soccer grow faster across Zimbabwe by building relationships with top African soccer groups like Morocco, which regularly hosts big continental events. Nqobile Magwizi, who heads the national soccer organization, flew to Casablanca yesterday morning. He plans to meet with Fouzi Lekjaa, the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, to discuss cooperation. Morocco has recently completely changed its approach to soccer and become a model for other African countries to follow. Their national team, the Atlas Lions, has emerged as a major power in African soccer. Many experts consider them among the favorites to win the Africa Cup of Nations tournament they'll host this December. The country developed an excellent youth system that produced stars like Paris Saint Germain defender Achraf Hakimi. Other famous Moroccan players include goalkeeper Yassine Bonou, former Manchester United midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, and ex-Chelsea player Hakim Ziyech. Three years ago, the Atlas Lions made history as the first African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals, doing better than Senegal and Ghana, which only reached the quarter-finals. Morocco can host both the men's tournament in December and next year's Women's Africa Cup of Nations because it built world-class facilities. FIFA currently ranks the Atlas Lions as the 14th-best team worldwide and number one in Africa. These impressive achievements explain why ZIFA sent Magwizi to Casablanca - they want to learn from Morocco's success story. The ZIFA boss hopes to transform Zimbabwe's soccer through youth development and better business approaches to running the sport, exactly what Morocco did successfully. That explains why ZIFA sees Morocco as a perfect partner for reviving Zimbabwean soccer. When announcing Magwizi's trip, ZIFA released a statement explaining they expect several partnership opportunities from these meetings. The statement mentioned ZIFA wants strong connections with leading soccer associations across Africa and noted Morocco has become very important for African soccer development. The discussions might create opportunities to collaborate on technical training, facilities, and management practices. After finishing his Morocco visit, Magwizi will travel to Egypt for an important Confederation of African Football extraordinary general meeting. His presence at this gathering shows that ZIFA remains committed to helping shape African soccer governance and growth, according to the association. During Magwizi's absence from Zimbabwe, one of his two deputy leaders, Loveness Mukura, will temporarily take charge as acting president of the association. The leadership sees these international connections as crucial steps toward rebuilding competitive soccer throughout Zimbabwe. Learning from Morocco's successful transformation could provide valuable lessons for local soccer development. [/QUOTE]

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