The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
JUNIOR players from some of the country’s top football teams will be on display at the Marvelous Nakamba Foundation (MNF) national Under-17 tournament to be held at Bulawayo’s White City Stadium on 25 and 26 June.
The two-day tournament was launched at an exquisite function held in the capital Harare on Thursday. It will bring together the best local junior football talent in the country.
Highlanders, Dynamos and Chicken Inn will be joined by Njube Spurs, Hwange Dynamo, Albun Academy, Bulawayo City as well as Ajax Hot Spurs.
A beneficiary of a sound junior football development policy, Aston Villa midfielder Nakamba is sponsoring the tournament through his foundation.
The MNF, which is chaired by Nakamba’s father, Antony, also pays fees for over 1 000 school children across Zimbabwe, under its Education Assistance Plan (EAP).
“Grassroots football is very important for the survival of the game. We all came through the system and we benefited because we were afforded the chance at an early stage. Henceforth, it is befitting that we continue with the tradition of supporting grassroots sport,” said Nakamba, who was groomed at the famed Bantu Rovers Academy in Bulawayo after starting off his career with the Highlanders juniors.
The MNF believes in enriching children, hence the motto “We believe every child can succeed.”
Nakamba is an example of how a sound football developmental system can nurture future footballers.
After graduating from Bantu Academy, Nakamba moved to Nancy of France in 2012.
He impressed at Nancy and earned a contract with Netherland top flight side Vitesse in 2014.
Nakamba spent three years at Vitesse and won the KNVB Beker Cup, the equivalent of the English FA Cup.
Belgium giants Club Brugge snapped the midfielder in 2017 and Nakamba went on to feature in the prestigious UEFA Champions League, where he attracted global attention.
He signed for English Premier League side Aston Villa in 2019 and is now an integral part of Steven Gerrard’s squad.
Nakamba is the only Zimbabwean player to win major Cups in two different European leagues.
He won the Belgian Cup with Club Brugge in 2016 and the KNVB Beker Cup with Dutch side Vitesse in 2017.
Nakamba’s presence at the MNF tournament is expected to motivate scores of budding footballers who will battle for honours in the City of Kings next weekend.
Foreign scouts are also expected to grace the event.
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