B-Metro Comment: Letaï¿½ï¿½s support the future of Zim football

THE countryaï¿½ï¿½s investment in junior football structures will again be showcased with the launch of the 2018 Copa Coca-Cola Under-15 boys and Under-17 girls tournament at Rusununguko High School in Mashonaland East on 15 May.

Come June, focus will be on the countryaï¿½ï¿½s prestigious junior football schools tournament, where young talented players showcase their talent at the latest edition of the Copa Coca-Cola tournament, an annual tourney that has been credited with providing a platform to identify some of the countryaï¿½ï¿½s future finest footballers.

This year marks a special milestone in the history of Copa Coca-Cola. Itaï¿½ï¿½s now 30 years since the tournament was launched in 1989 at Bulawayoaï¿½ï¿½s Gifford High School when the first final of Copa Coca-Cola tournament in collaboration with National Association of School Heads (Nash) was held with teams from the countryaï¿½ï¿½s 10 provinces.

Mzilikazi High School went on to win that tournament. Their team had Zimbabweaï¿½ï¿½s legendary footballer Peteraï¿½?Nsukuzonkeaï¿½? Ndlovu who went on to be one of the first African players to play in England.

From then, Copa Coca-Cola, has never looked back, it has continued to produce stars who are shining in the local, regional and international clubs. As if this is not enough Zimbabwe has been hailed as the country with the best Copa Coca-Cola football programme.

With no doubt Copa Coca-Cola is the future of Zimbabwean football and there is a need for everybody to rally behind the initiative that celebrates 30 years of existence. It is a competition that has proved to be a catalyst for stardom for most promising youngsters.

Nsukuzonke, who lifted the inaugural tournament in 1989 with Mzilikazi High School, has continuously hailed constant growth of the tournament and has encouraged local football stakeholders to take an active part.

aï¿½?The organisation of the tournament has been improving with each year and this is good because it shows that we appreciate football development must begin from the grassroots.

aï¿½?It is through this support from the sponsors, the hosting schools and the general public that even the standard of play has been improving. The youngsters and all the teams taking part are eager to show what they are made of. I know people always say we are not producing enough players, but with tournaments like these more good players will continue coming up the ranks,aï¿½? we once quoted Nsukuzonke as saying

Nash president Johnson Madhuku is on record saying the fact that the football tournament has produced footballers competing at national level shows that it has been a success.

Former national team striker Benjani Mwaruwari, Kudakwashe Mahachi, Belgium-based duo of Vusa Nyoni and Knowledge and Ovidy Karuru are some of the prominent players that once played at the Coca-Cola sponsored youth tournament.

aï¿½?This is clear evidence that the efforts of our sponsors are paying dividends, they are bearing good fruit, building the Team Zimbabwe that we want. As Nash we are also happy to note that Copa Coca-Cola winners have been spread all over the country in the past few years and not only in urban centres.

aï¿½?The competition continues to provide a stage for talented youngsters to showcase their talents and probably set a base for their careers in football which happens to be one of the biggest employers these days.aï¿½? .