The Sunday Mail
Sports Reporter
AFTER shunting promising striker Nigel Ndhlovu to Danish side Hobro IK in February, respected juniors’ coach Bekhi Nyoni feels under pressure to find the next unpolished gem.
The Zimbabwe Soccer Coaches Association chairman made the revelations yesterday after securing a sponsorship for this month’s BN Academy juniors’ coaching camps.
“As you are aware, the European scouts have a well coordinated network and once you make an impression on them – like we did with Nigel – you are bound to have them calling regularly and asking ‘is there something exciting down there in Zimbabwe?’
“So the challenge for us now is to horn the skills of the youngsters who will report for the camps we will be holding this holiday to the specification of the European clubs.
“As a coach, I know that more and more parents now appreciate that football is a career and view sending their kids for our clinics as an investment so the pressure is on all of us at BN Academy…we have to deliver,” he said.
Nyoni revealed that one of his academy’s brightest stars, Musa Kalombe, has secured a soccer scholarship with a United States university.
The BN Academy director welcomed the coming on board of a corporate partner noting that junior football development will be a fruitless endeavor without corporate backers.
“We are thrilled that Global Bolts & Hardware have come in to partner us for these coaching clinics.
“This holiday we will have four clinics at Belgravia Sports Club. The first clinic runs from 4 to 8 April, the second one is between 11 and 15 April, the third runs between 18 to 22 April while the final one takes place from 25 to 29 April 2016,” he said.
