Tournament to showcase top junior football talent
THE Harare Province Junior Football Development League is set to crown the best age group teams from the province this Sunday when they host the Champions of Champions tournament at Raylton Sports Club.
The cream of the province’s top junior football talent will be on display as 10 teams from five categories, starting from Under-10s to Under-18s, will clash in the finals.
“This is a culmination of a marathon campaign that began last year and then spilled over into 2024,” said HPJFDL chairman, Lloyd Chigowe.
“We had two groups, each group comprising 16 teams, playing in a league format in each age group.
“So, the group winners from the respective age categories are the ones playing in the final on Sunday to determine the overall champions.
“It’s a first of its kind and going forward we are looking to expand further by saying the overall winners from Harare play winners from the other provinces so that we have national champions,” said Chigowe.
Chitungwiza Stars will meet Marisa Academy in the Under-10 final. Chitungwiza Stars will also field their Under-12 side against Real Stars in the battle of the Under-12s.
The Under-14 final will be contested by Prince Edward Academy and Cadship Academy. Prince Edward has a date with Dynamos Academy in the Under-16 final while the Under-18 final is a battle between Patridge Muskwe’s Friendly Academy and Real Stars.
ZIFA Technical Director Jethro Hunidzarira is expected to grace the event along with many other football luminaries. There will be medals and trophy presentations at the end of the tournament, sponsored by Solar Africa.
Chigowe said the 2024 season is expected to kick-off the following weekend on March 17.
The renowned junior football development coach, however, was worried by the lack of investment in junior football. Chigowe called for a change of mindset especially among those in positions of influence.
“We make things difficult for ourselves always by failing to do the basics. That is the reason we are always crying over many things.
“What I’m about to say is a bit controversial, but we inherited community infrastructure that was good, well-maintained, and suitable for football at the time and what did we do with it?
“Most of these facilities are now broken down. It is even difficult to find a decent pitch to groom our youngsters. You cannot even find open spaces in the communities where children can develop their natural talent before they get professional coaching.
“To show that it is possible to develop top-notch talents, we have players that have been groomed here that are now playing in some of the big leagues in Europe.
“The likes of Tino Kadewere, Marvelous Nakamba, Marshal Munetsi, and Bill Antonio played in our junior leagues before making it to Europe,” said Chigowe. He also highlighted the need to review the schools’ football curriculum.
“It’s unfortunate schools football is no longer as effective as it used to be. It’s even difficult to scout from the schools because these guys are not playing enough games.
“Overall, we are advocating for structured football from the grassroots to the top of the pyramid. I am glad I heard the new Technical Director talking about provincial leagues and I hope he walks the talk.
“We need to bring to the fore the best of our junior players by casting the net wide and making sure that everyone is included.
“It doesn’t have to be haphazard.
“We need a deliberate system for talent identification to build a base. Over the years we have depended on individually owned academies to produce players for our national teams.
“So, there is need for a change of mindset. We have to understand that success in football does not come easy. There has to be proper structures in place and a clear vision.”
HPJFDL Champion of Champions final fixtures:
Under-10 Final: Chitungwiza Stars vs Marisa Academy
Under-12 Final: Chitungwiza Stars vs Real Stars
Under-14 Final: PE Academy vs Cadship Academy
Under-16 Final: PE Academy vs Dynamos Academy
Under-18 Final: Friendly Academy vs Real Stars