Herentals spread wings
IN A bid to conform to the Premier Soccer League’s club licensing policy, Herentals have moved to form junior developmental structures across the country as the ambitious club aims to become one of the biggest brands in the local scene.
The team made history last season when they finished the Premiership marathon on sixth place with their squad made up of entirely the same team which had won them top-flight promotion from the Northern Region Division One.
So good were Herentals that they even finished the marathon on top of seasoned campaigners like CAPS United, Dynamos and Harare City.
Their defence, marshalled by Carlos Mavhurume and Blessing Maunganidze, was even joint second-best in the league along with that of runners-up Ngezi Platinum Stars after it conceded just 24 goals in 34 matches.
The team also has a developmental team which plays in Division One to which most of their current senior squad players are elevated from.
And Herentals, cognisant of ZIFA and PSL club licensing requests, have also sought to establish developmental structures around the country.
They are initially assembling the academies in their schools, the Herentals Group of Colleges, which are dotted around Zimbabwe. The Premiership side participated at the ground-breaking event in Harare South on Saturday where a number of players were identified for assimilation into the team.
Herentals Group of Schools committee member and the football club governor Kudakwashe Remba said the team, with the help of the school, was committed to professionalise the game.
“Our ultimate objective is to establish several grassroots academies in all our schools across the country. As Herentals Football Club, our aim is to professionalise the game and make sure that we conform to the standards as spelt out by ZIFA and PSL,” said Remba.
“We have decided to roll the project in Ushewokunze where one of our schools is still at its infancy. We are recruiting students who should be sure that they will be transformed academically and football-wise.
“What we want to see at the end of the day is a complete learner who can play football having been developed in all aspects of the game.
“As Herentals Group of Colleges, we will make sure that there is a professionally-run academy at all our centres as we are trying to develop the game in the country.
“So basically what we are saying is, every centre must have a well-structured academy with all age-groups where we will select talented players who will join the senior team. Others will obviously join other clubs as what we want at the end of the day is to take soccer to another level in this country.
“What it means then is, instead of parents sending their children to other schools and in turn pay for them to go for an academy again, they just have to be at one of the Herentals Group of Schools centres where both education and sport are given professional treatment.”
Herentals striker and proprietor Innocent Benza is on record saying football has a special place in his heart and will do what it takes for the game to move to another level.
John Dhadhi, the headmaster at the Colleges’ Harare City Centre branch, described the move by the team as a massive boost to enrolment and soccer development.
“I don’t think there is any school which will be doing what we have already started. On top of our well-documented academic excellence, we will also be producing football stars.
“This is a good move by the Group of Colleges in conjunction with the football club,” said Dhadhi.
Hetrentals coach Kumbirai Mutiwekuziva, who has maintained his stance against signing big-name players, applauded the development and quickly dismissed rumours linking his star man Carlos Mavhurume with Dynamos.
The trio of Mavhurume, Blessing Maunganidze and Warriors midfielder Richard Hachiro have drawn interest from various top flight teams but Mutiwekuziva says none of them is for sale.
“I only read it in the newspapers that some of my players have joined certain teams. Let me state it clearly that none of my players is for sale. They will be playing for Herentals as we want to surpass what we achieved last season,” said Mutiwekuziva.
Travaulter Dube, Hugh Chikosa, Elton Dzirondiro and Aaron Chiwandamidzi have all been dropped to the Division One team while Edgar Mhungu has been released.
Mutiwekuziva is yet to sign any new player though there are plans to “add depth” to his club but “definitely not signing big-name players”.