The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube
FORMER Hwange Football Club player Twyman Ncube says clubs should enlist the services of highly qualified coaches to lead the technical benches of their junior teams.
Ncube, who spent the better part of his career at the coal mining town of Hwange, said while there has been talk of enhancing and improving junior policy within the country’s football clubs, there was little effort being made in implementing the idea.
Ncube, who holds a Caf C coaching badge said it was time clubs, put their money where their mouths were and invested in “qualified and mature” personnel for their junior teams.
“Maybe we all agree that foundation is critical in learning anything but in football it ends with the talk because there is no real action to backup that talk,’’ said Ncube.
“Yes, clubs always emphasise that juniors are important and they say ‘we are developing our own talent’ but then what is the use if we are then going to second unqualified coaches or those with beginners certificates to these younger football players? Are we saying highly qualified coaches should not be involved in the junior ranks?
“We need a vibrant junior policy among our clubs and not just a token programme that is not going to be the vibrant factories that we need to churn out able footballers that will not only represent clubs but also turn out for the country. I believe you need a mature and experienced person to be able to coach juniors, not just a former player who has just hung up his boots to be put in charge of teens,” he said.
Ncube said the Premier Soccer League was no ground for teaching players simple things like how to effectively head the ball, trapping and holding the ball yet there were players in PSL who still needed to be taught such moves.
“PSL is more of a finishing area where a player is implementing the tactics and not still learning the basics. I think we should not just rely on natural talent to emerge among our young players but we should make efforts in teaching these players football and maybe that is when we can achieve greater things as a nation,” he said.
The 61-year-old Ncube was in charge at then Old Nic FC last year for a few games but could not stop the team from being relegated.
Ncube, who during his heyday also turned out for Chibuku Shumba in Harare, said it was saddening the league championship was proving elusive for Bulawayo teams.
Ncube played with the likes of Amos Rendo, the late Mwape Sakala, Malcom Whitley, Sam Tende, Levy Nkatha and Ken Fulton at Hwange while at Chibuku he starred alongside Shadreck Ngwenya, Peter Nyama and John Humphreys, among others.
Ncube said there was also a need for teams to stop buying players simply because of their talent without looking at the loyalty factor.
“Yes players come and go but what is disheartening about Bulawayo teams is they take average players from other regions to come and play for them when those footballers’ hearts are elsewhere. If I am to be signed up with Real Madrid I should have that team at heart. How can I give my all when my emotions are elsewhere?
“If a player has to come from other regions he has to be really exceptional and make a great contribution towards the team’s success,” he said.
Ncube said at Hwange there was a tradition of always considering local talent first before exporting. Juniors’ coaches would groom young players and then make recommendations to the senior team coaches of those who would be ripe for the top flight, he said.
