A lot to learn from Mapeza’s youngster project
FOR any system to continue moving forward, a system of self-replacement or replenishment is a necessity if such a system is to withstand the test of time. Like the human body which generates new cells to repair areas of physical damage, our football entities have to grow from conception to 97 years like Highlanders, 85 years like Orlando Pirates (South Africa), 115 years like Ahly Ahly (Egypt), 129 years like Liverpool (England), and hopefully to as many fruitful years. That is only if players keep being introduced to the team in a continual process of replenishment. Otherwise, such milestones as stated above will prove impossible to attain for a soccer entity.
It is in light of the search for longevity that we should continue to press for even better talent identification, grooming and all round development of the youths.
This should not be left to chance, but should be an ongoing process. Sadly, over the years, such calls have fallen on deaf ears.
It is with that in mind that recent developments at Norman Mapeza’s FC Platinum might be an eye opener to a serious re-look at youth d e v e l o pme n t in our football. Earlier on this season, the Platinum miners offloaded a number many senior players, and replaced them with developmental players.
The naysayers never gave them a chance to make a footprint in a league dominated by older players. But the opposite is the case, and FC Platinum are at the apex of the PSL 18-team log table with 40 points from 19 games, two more than second-placed Chicken Inn. Is the form of his youthful squad a serious argument for a need for serious junior development and replenishment in the general outlook of our game?
“We are not thinking much about our position (on the log), like I say, I am much more worried about developing these kids. That is where my main worry is, I want to develop these kids, I want them to know more about football. It is not easy to play football. I want them to learn to play football. We will keep on working hard, and see what happens at the end of the season,” said the former national team captain, who also turned out for Turkish giants Galatasaray.
“Look, we have these youngsters here, imagine if we had a (national) under-20 side, if we had an under-23 side, with this quality we have, it was going to be something else.”
Is there a need then for the country to get serious about junior development? I ask him.
“That is the logic! That is the logic! That is the logic!” he emphasises.
Should it be immediately implemented at national team level?
“Eeh ... It is not easy hey, the problem is like we do not want to build, we only want results at the end of the day. But where are we going to get the results if we don’t put much effort in developing the kids.”
We agree with you Nomara. We know that pressure for immediate results especially at youth level has tended to be counterproductive, as it has evidently pushed coaches to select older players to the detriment of proper developmental initiatives and programmes.
And the development of youths should not be left to chance, but must be a deliberate strategy from national level where Government formulates a policy to drive youth development. Just as the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee, though not with much success, brought in Ghanaian coach Ben Koufie way back in 2007, for a then ambitious project of building a base for the reorganisation of the local game to ensure soccer development from the grassroots right up the senior national team.
Perhaps we can get a cue from Mapeza’s effort at FC Platinum to rekindle such necessary initiatives.