The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) says it is set to make a big announcement today, regarding the national team, the Warriors new kit competition winner.
The country’s football mother body is this morning at 11am expected to announce “Warrior Pride” competition winner from the recently shortlisted 12 designers who came as finalists to create new kits for the Zimbabwe national football team.
The competition was launched in April this year, by inviting local designers to submit brand and jersey designs, with the winner receiving $3,000, their design becoming the official ZIFA brand, and other prizes.
The shortlisted designers were judged, with public input (by way of online poll) potentially contributing to the final decision.
The hunt for local design is a commercialisation move which the new administration believes will be viable for the national association.
“This is not just about national pride, but a commercial move. If we manage to produce our own kits and sell for US$20 and if we sell three million kits per year, that is US$60 million and imagine what that can do for football in Zimbabwe. So this is a move to try and unlock the value of the Warriors brand and increase revenue generation,” ZIFA president, Nqobile Magwizi said during the launch of the competition.
The winner is expected to produce three designs for the home, away and alternative match-day kits as well as a logo for the Warriors.
Zimbabwe is not the first country to go this route as Zambia, Malawi and Uganda among others, have designed their own brands and are no longer buying kits.
Zimbabwe is currently using the Puma kit which is purchased at a substantive cost and the replicas are beyond the reach of many as it costs at least US$45.