The Sunday News
ZIFA vice-president Omega Sibanda has urged schools to liaise with the football body when organising tournaments to ensure they realise something from their efforts.
Sibanda said schools needed to have purpose when hosting tournaments instead of playing games that will not impact on the development of young players.
“Tournaments involving schools are critical because they offer coaches opportunities to identify young talent which they can recruit for their teams while junior league clubs can also scout for players in such events.
“It is where raw talent is identified and incorporated into teams where they can sharpen their skills and produce better players for the country,” he said.
Sibanda said it had come to Zifa Bulawayo Province’s attention that there were many competitions being held involving schools but they only read about them in the Press.
He said once Zifa is aware of the events they can then incorporate them into their calendar, which will reach many people including scouts, academies and other people interested in developing talent.
“We are not against the holding of tournaments and will never stop any tourney being held. We also welcome all sponsors that fund such events because they ensure young footballers keep on playing soccer.
“It is, however, folly to just hold a tournament for its own sake without being able to achieve long term goals. Such tourneys can be used to identify players who can qualify for scholarships while talented players but whose parents are struggling financially can be assisted with school fees and other such things,” he said.
Sibanda attended the Maboleni Schools Soccer Festival in Lower Gweru last week where more than 80 soccer balls were distributed to schools in the area.
Host school Maboleni High won the tourney after beating Lower Gweru Mission 2-1 in the finals and the tournament was supported by ORAP in partnership with One World Futbol and they donated balls to schools as a way to encourage the youth to be active through playing soccer.
The tournament involved six schools including two girls’ teams, Insukamini, Maboleni, Isibomvu, Lower Gweru Mission (boys), Whata and Mdubiwa (girls).
Sibanda said a group of local doctors has expressed a desire to support young footballers who would have passed their Advanced Level studies with scholarships in the various fields of medicine.
“The doctors want to monitor good young players who are also academically gifted and assist them embark on careers such as nursing, general practitioners, dentistry and some can even choose to be pharmacists.
“We encourage pupils to focus on science subjects including Mathematics to ensure they qualify while good football skills will be requisite. If schools liaise with us when they host their tournaments they are likely to see their pupils benefiting from such initiatives,” he said.
