The Sunday Mail
Sports Reporter
Young football talent from both Zimbabwe and the Diaspora will be on display in Harare next year when Legends Football Academy dates a Diaspora Select side for a series of matches.
It is envisaged that the exhibition matches — dubbed the “Legends of Tomorrow” — would become an annual fixture after the inaugural tournament.
The matches, which are the brainchild of Legends Football Academy coach Farai Dhliwayo, could provide a platform for local fans, selectors and media to familiarise themselves with some of Zimbabwe’s future stars.
Having been established in 2015, Legends has since produced talented players like exciting playmaker Calum English-Brown, who is at local Premiership outfit Herentals; midfielder Sebastien Summerfield, who is now playing for Swiss outfit FC Kilchberg, and South African Premier Soccer League side Cape Town City’s striker Douglas Mapfumo.
Dhliwayo is well aware of the young talent that abounds in the Diaspora, particularly the British Brigade in England.
The 46-year-old coach believes that both groups of players could benefit from local exposure.
Due to lack of investment by ZIFA in junior football development, local fans are no longer familiar with names of talented up-and-coming junior players.
“There are people working hard in the Diaspora to identify talented young footballers who qualify to play for Zimbabwe. We are working hard at Legends Football Academy to develop young footballers locally,” Dhliwayo said.
“We cannot rely on ZIFA for support but we feel obligated to expose the football public to our future stars…Denzel Mapuwa, Ethan Kachosa, Hermish Charlie, Isaac Mabaya, Darrel Musha, Jimiel Chikukwa, Dean Chamutinya and Gerald Sithole should be household names.
“We are looking at having the exhibition matches in a stadium in May after the European league season ends.
“All the players involved will be under 20 and we know Zimbabwean football fans are dying to see new exciting talent.
“It is also early enough for selectors to identify players to represent the country in junior national team competitions which occur later in the year.”
Legends’ bid to gauge themselves against a Diaspora side has been welcomed by Team Zimbabwe UK’s chief executive officer Marshall Gore.
“We have always been open to such initiatives. We actually think that there will be more value in the talent at home to also come and play here in the UK and get exposure and vice-versa.
“We must not give up on developing football in Zimbabwe even if we might not get the necessary support from ZIFA. We have already done a lot and there are many individuals and institutions that are also doing their bit to identify and nurture Zimbabwean talent,’’ Gore said.
In May 2019, he led Team Zimbabwe UK’s maiden tour of Zimbabwe, which afforded such youngsters like Vitalis Takawira Junior a chance to sample the environment where his father and former Warriors international Vitalis “Digital’’ Takawira made his name when turning out for Harare giants Dynamos.
The proposed exhibition matches are in line with country’s drive to promote sports tourism.
