More Barca legends to visit Zim Nice things in store for Warriors: Kluivert
SPANISH footballer Rayco Garcia immediately fell in love with Victoria Falls yesterday and remained behind as his colleague Edgar Davids flew back to Harare.
The European stars including Patrick Kluivert arrived in the country on Thursday evening as special guests of the Minister of Sport and Recreation Makhosini Hlongwane who said the visit was part of reconstructing the country’s image after more than two decades of battering by the international media.
Kluivert did not travel to Victoria Falls but the trio met President Mugabe in Gwanda on Saturday.
Garcia, who has been to other African countries such as Tanzania and Uganda where he planned to set up football academies, arrived in the resort town with Davids midmorning and went straight to the Zambezi Helicopter Company where they had a flight of angels.
However, Davids, who was in the company of a friend, immediately flew back to Harare in the afternoon to catch a flight back to his country.
Regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all-time, Davids who featured for Barcelona, Juventus, Inter Milan, Tottenham and Ajax Amsterdam refused to have a photo shoot. Garcia was however thrilled by Zimbabwe.
“This is an incredible place and am very happy to be here. Zimbabwe is a wonderful place unlike the image we had before coming here and I must say I am impressed and feel at home,” he said in an interview after the helicopter flight.
Garcia said plans were underway to identify talented youngsters in the country and expose them to Europe as a way of developing their talents.
“We are working with the Minister of Sport and Recreation (Makhosini Hlongwane) and we are thinking of a lot of possibilities. I am also going to meet Zifa president (Philip Chiyangwa) as we have an idea to meet youths and give them an opportunity in Europe,” he said.
Garcia said more Barcelona legends will come to the DUTCH football legend Patrick Kluivert has promised ‘nice things’ in future for the Zimbabwe national team although he ruled out coaching the Warriors who are without a substantive coach after the sacking of Callisto Pasuwa.
In an interview with Chronicle Sport at the Jahunda Post Office in Gwanda on Saturday where he and compatriot Edgar Davids and Spanish footballer Garcia attended the launch of the Jahunda Community and Information Centre by President Mugabe, Kluivert, a former sporting director with Paris St German (PSG), said Zimbabwe must expect some nice things in the near future.
Asked whether he might take up the vacant Warriors job held at the moment on a caretaker basis by FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza, Kluivert said: “No, no, but there are other nice things to be done in the future for the national team”.
The Minister of Sport and Recreation, Makhosini
country next month in preparation for the team’s visit in November.
He said the historic visit will be a boost for the country’s sport tourism. “This is a real wonder,” he said about Victoria Falls. “We are going to come with the whole Barcelona team for the match and we will use this platform to tell our friends globally about how nice Zimbabwe is. Sport and tourism are connected in Spain and am impressed that you are going the same route. We expect to bring more players in September as warm up for the match end of year,” said Garcia.
Those expected next month include Deco, Rivaldo, Hlongwane, who brought the trio to Zimbabwe, said discussions are ongoing with Zifa regards the hiring of the national team coaches but the final staffing decisions of the national associations solely lies with Zifa and the Government will not arm twist them into hiring.
“That is a discussion we are having with Zifa with a view to looking at the possibility of what is provided under the various frameworks that we have signed with countries across the globe. The aspect of hiring itself is a Zifa area, we can only share ideas with them and if they want to strengthen their technical department and say Minister do that, we can of course do that under the auspices of the various framework agreements or memorandum of agreements that we have signed with different countries,” said Minister Hlongwane.
The Government has in the past rescued Zifa when it engaged the German government who then facilitated the coaching of the Warriors by its national, the late Reinhard Fabisch who caused a lot of upsets by defeating then African giants like Cameroon and Egypt, results that saw Zimbabwe storm into the top 10 on the African rankings. — @skhumoyo2000.
Ronaldinho and Gianluca Zambrotta.
Garcia said the legends command millions of followers on social media hence their coming to Zimbabwe will have an impact on sport tourism.
Sport and Recreation Commissioner Clement Mukwasi concurred: “This is the beginning and we are looking forward to hosting the whole Barcelona team and many others going forward.”
The two legends were accompanied by Tich Mawoni, an official from the Ministry of Sport and Recreation.
Yesterday Garcia went for a boat cruise and will do bungee jumping this morning before flying to Harare in the afternoon. — -@ncubeleon