The Sunday News
Mandla Moyo, Sports Reporter
UNITED States of America based former Highlanders captain, Thulani “Biya” Ncube has managed to keep grassroots football alive in Bulawayo with the help of his friends based in that country.
Biya as he Ncube is affectionately known by football fans across the country has managed to mobilise his contacts to support disadvantaged children in Cowdray Park to pursue their passion of playing the world’s most beautiful game.
Working together with his colleagues, they have managed to establish an academy dubbed “Biya and Friends” which seeks to keep both boys as well as girls away from the streets by making sure that they stick to sharpening their football skills on the field of play.
As part of that effort, substantial football equipment has been donated to the academy which includes uniforms, balls among other requirements they need on a daily basis as they go about with their business.
Initially, the project started with a focus on boys only but the girl child has been taken on board as well. This is in recognition of the challenges that affect them when growing up in a particularly harsh environment.
To date this noble idea boasts of a Division Three team, a women side playing Ddivision One football as well as age group teams.
Robert Cain, a Plainfield Soccer Association director was recently in the country to check on the progress of the project as well as hand over equipment.
He said the fact that in USA there is a lot of football material lying idle, that made it easier to assemble friends though at times travel restriction on luggage limits the quantities they bring at any time which they convey over every six months.
“It is through such motivation working with Thulani that we decided to come back here to launch a project that will keep boys as well as girl busy through the day particularly after school,’’ Cain said.
To show their seriousness they have even donated an eighteen seater van to be used for transporting teams to their fixture games without hassles.
Biya and Friends Academy treasurer George Sibanda expressed his gratitude to their benefactors while promising that they will work hard to produce other talented, disciplined players as the former Warriors defender.
The academy is also playing school fees for the players to make sure that they strike a balance between their school assignments while pursuing their passion.
One of its most promising find is Michael Ndlovu who is playing for Bulawayo Chiefs while others are yet to catch the attention of big clubs.
@mandlamoyo3
