Lovemore Kadzura
Sport Reporter
STAKEHOLDERS in Rusape are working round the clock to save the beautiful game of soccer from extinction by assisting a number of academies with vital sporting equipment for the budding footballers.
The town has for the past decade witnessed a massive decline in professional football following the demise of yesteryear teams such as Grainmasters, GMB Pirates, Rusape United, TelOne, Damasco, Blue Bird and Red Seal, among others, which provided platform for talented footballers to showcase their talents.
Most of these teams were corporate-owned and offered well-paying jobs to players.
Now it is a thing of the past as the town no longer have a team in ZIFA structures, and players as young as 21 years are now resorting to social soccer, where there is more of beer drinking and smoking than playing on the pitch.
However, thanks to the generosity of former footballers and entrepreneurs, there are efforts to rescue the game through providing soccer jerseys, boots and balls to a few soccer academies and schools in the town.
Rusape-based entrepreneur and socialite, Prosper Mudowetu recently donated full sets of soccer uniforms and match balls, sourced from the United Kingdom, to Vengere FC Juniors, Trust and Friends Academy, Sheburn House Junior School, Zambara Primary School in Headlands and Scud 11, a social team in an endeavour to support the growth of soccer at grassroots level.
Another consignment is already being shipped to Zimbabwe.
“We want to raise the game of soccer again in Rusape and take it back to where it used to be. The provision of these equipment will go a long way in building confidence of both players and coaches. We have targeted Vengere FC Juniors and Trust and Friends Academy, which are well organised, structured and registered with ZIFA. They should be supported so that they do not give up on their noble initiatives. When we join hands as a community, it becomes affordable to run a soccer club. In rural areas, there are number of talented players who lack exposure, that is why we targeted Zambara Primary School. It is possible to revive soccer in Rusape, and the first port of call is to support junior teams and schools,” said Mudowetu.
Vengere FC Juniors director, Robert Mugorosa expressed gratitude for the kind gesture, saying more support should be directed towards junior football development.
“We are grateful for the excellent junior soccer training kit he provided. It is a fantastic contribution to our team, and we are confident that it will make a significant difference in our training sessions.
“His generosity will go a long way in helping us develop our skills and achieve our goals. We appreciate his support and commitment to youth soccer development,” said Mugorosa.
Last week, former footballer, Tendai ‘Dhumbe’ Madume, who had successful stints with ZUPCO Mutare, GMB Pirates and Red Seal, and is now based in the United Kingdom, donated several kits and boots to Score Warriors Academy, based at the Muslim Open Grounds in Vengere.
“When we were young, football was at the forefront of this town, but things have changed. We are calling upon Rusape Town Council to assist with providing and maintaining proper sporting facilities. Football start at grassroots level for the youngsters.
“I have sourced some kits for Under-10s to use during training sessions and games. There is a lot of future in sport. Where I am based they catch them as early as eight years and develop them. Companies must come back and rescue the game in Rusape. Sport is a well-paying industry and parents must be supportive. My target is to bring coaches from Europe to scout for talented players and export them to better leagues,” said Madume.
Score Warriors director and coach, Ngonidzashe Murindi, whose academy has over 70 young players was grateful of the gift which will go a long way to improve their operations.
“We have around 75 players in our academy registers, though we are yet to register with ZIFA. There are a lot of talented players whom we are nurturing here. This donation will inspire us to carry on our vision of producing super stars. We are also fighting social vices such as drug abuse through sporting activities,” said Murindi.
