Corey Jacobs pursuing his dream
GLOBAL Sports Academy upcoming footballer Corey Jacobs is set to take his first step in pursuing his dream to become a professional player when he goes through a one-year training programme with Czech Republic-based MSM International Football Academy early next year.
He is expected to leave for Czech Republic early next month.
The move is being facilitated by Triumph Athletic Group sports management and consultancy owned by Fungai Matiza, who is based in the Czech Republic’s capital Prague.
Matiza revealed last year that they had partnered with MSM International Football Academy for talent identification and development in Africa.
He is representing the European Academy on the continent where they have embarked on a talent identification programme to assist skilled young football players turn professional.
Jacobs, who is currently with Global Sports Academy based at Celebration Centre, said the move will be a learning curve for him as he hopes to break through into European football.
“The plan is to get exposure mostly to get into European football. It’s not going to be easy going into it. But it’s going to be hard work for me as an athlete as well, also coming from Zimbabwe.
Right now I am just trusting in my ability and not only my ability but God’s ability, my faith as well. So it’s going to be something else and I am looking forward to it.
“It’s a big dream of mine. My expectation of the Czech Republic is obviously to learn, to grow as a player and obviously to get signed. But the end goal for me is to hopefully play for Manchester United one day,” said Jacobs.
The 18-year-old striker began working on his dream in 2010, participating in the BN Academy coaching clinics that are usually held during school holidays before he moved to Global Sports Academy in 2015.
“I started under Bheki Nyoni at BN Academy and as I got older I wanted a bit more of a challenge, so I went through to Global Academy with Malvin Moyo, that’s where I learnt the most actually as a player and as an athlete.
“I participated in almost all of them (the BN Academy coaching clinics) and weekly training programmes from 2010 until 2015, that’s when I joined Global Academy.
“With BN, they gave me the fundamentals of how to play the game and they basically showed me the basics. Then when I got to Global Academy, it was more advanced training,” said Jacobs. Head coach at Global Sports Academy, Malvin Moyo described Jacobs as a hard working player and they are excited about the development.
“For Corey what I liked about him is his attitude. He is a hard working kid and he is also gifted in terms of height because when you look at Southern Africans we are kind of small . . . And the other thing he can play football with both his legs.
“Our hope is that this will create an opportunity for him to go into mainstream football. So for us as an academy what we are happy with is to say look this young man has been with us for the last couple of years and has worked hard to get this opportunity. But what we want is to say hopefully he makes it at the next grade because it’s all about making it to the next level,” said Moyo.
His mom, Lorraine, is hoping for the best for her son.
“Well he is going (to the Czech Republic) for a year first and then we are hoping that by that point he is signed-up by a club and he takes his career from there.
“He (Matiza) has been so helpful because he has directed us for Corey’s fitness, training, giving us guidelines on his diet and all of that. And just really being pro-active in trying to ensure that he gets to the Czech Republic,” said Lorraine.
For Lorraine, the drive comes from supporting her child’s passion and is hopeful Corey’’s attachment at the MSM Academy will open new opportunities for him.