The local football season might not return this year with ZIFA now targeting mid-February due to lake of funds.

The association had proposed a mini-league tournament for two weeks to mark the return of local football in the country. However, strict regulations which include setting up of a bio-bubble environment have seen the plans becoming impossible.

Most clubs are yet to start group training almost a month after the Government gave the green light for the safe return of football.

ZIFA president Felton Kamambo explained the situation to The Herald: “The secretariat is already working on that. We intend to start the 2021 season early next year, and we will stagger the start, for logistical purposes.

“We are also engaging the Government to possibly allow fans at the stadiums. We understand that most teams in the country heavily rely on gate-takings.

“It is against that background that we have decided to engage the authorities and see how best fans can be allowed at match venues.”

Kamambo added that their focus is on national teams and they can’t pour many resources for clubs in the bio-bubble mini-league tournament.

“We are currently running around preparing for the Warriors match against Algeria in Algiers, and we have failed to secure commercial flights to Algeria,’’ he said.

“Instead, we will have to charter a plane to North Africa which will cost us a lot more.

“We currently don’t have any sponsors helping us out.

“What it means is that we may not be able to put much in the bio-bubble tournament as we will also use significant resources when we host the Algerians here.”