06 May 2020 – While football leagues worldwide are in limbo due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the administration side of the game can still forge ahead. With FIFA’s Clearing House anticipated to come online in mid-2020, registering clubs with FIFA and assigning FIFA IDs to each can take centre stage.
As some clubs and LFAs are already feeling the financial pinch of lockdown, MYSAFA CLUB PRO is being offered free of charge to SAFA clubs in good standing. FIFA ID numbers are necessary for clubs to be eligible to receive FIFA training rewards under the FIFA 2.0 system. MYSAFA’s integration with FIFA Connect, FIFA’s Transfer Matching System (TMS) and the FIFA Clearing House will help to ensure that clubs are paid their due training rewards when their former players turn pro.
Zwide Football Association (ZWIFA) in Nelson Mandela Bay has wasted no time taking advantage of this opportunity. While most South Africans recognise Zwide as the birthplace of the Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok Captain, Siya Kolisi, it is also home to a thriving football community, known for regularly producing talented professional players.
ZWIFA was also an early adopter of MYSAFA and now, via the MYSAFA CLUB PRO initiative, 24 ZWIFA clubs have received their official FIFA IDs. Major Chiefs FC — a ZWIFA club that has been plying their trade in SAFA’s SAB League in recent years — were one of the first to benefit from the initiative.
Nkululeko Mayinje, Chairman of Major Chiefs FC, views the system as more than just a money-spinner.
“Look, it is not just the financial rewards that we are concerned about but more so the development aspect,” Mayinje stated. “Once a player of ours goes to a professional club, we need to immediately develop another such player to fill in the gap and the rewards aspect will aid the process.”
The club has learned this lesson the hard way as training rewards were difficult to pursue and rarely paid in the past.
“We are an old club and have had many past players turn professional, but there was no system in place to compensate us and ensure future development,” Mayinje continued. “But due to lack of proper systems we weren’t remunerated and couldn’t do anything about it. At least now we have FIFA and MYSAFA in our corner to protect us going forward.”
Other LFAs wishing to follow in the footsteps of ZWIFA, can contact support@mywww.safa.net to request the club registration worksheet.
Once the club is registered with FIFA, their unique FIFA ID will be communicated to the LFA and club via email in the form of a printable PDF certificate (shown above).
by Dhirshan Gobind