Don Makanyanga
Online Writer
PORTUGUESE football giants Benfica have visited Zimbabwe following an initial engagement with local club Hardrock FC, which is seeking to establish football development and exchange programmes with the European outfit.
The visit to Chahwanda Stadium in Kwekwe follows a trip to Portugal by a Hardrock FC delegation led by club president Shepherd Chahwanda in September, where the club’s executive engaged Benfica over possible areas of cooperation.
Hardrock FC board member Charles Chahwanda said the initial visit to Portugal was primarily aimed at learning from Benfica’s vast experience in football development and understanding how the European giants have built and sustained their structures.
He said Hardrock were particularly impressed by Benfica’s work across Africa, including its projects in Ivory Coast, and hoped to draw lessons that could be adapted to the Zimbabwean football environment.
“Benfica has been into this for many hundreds. They have learnt quite a lot. They went through the phase that we are in. But we are lucky we have those ones that have succeeded,” said Chahwanda.
“So, instead of actually following up, you simply need to liaise with those people that have been into it. Then you learn the ropes fast,” he said.
Chahwanda, however, was cautious about describing the engagement as a permanent partnership, saying Hardrock’s immediate objective was to learn from an established football institution.
“I can’t really say we have got a permanent relationship with Benfica. But our motivation for the tour was to try and learn one or two things,” he said.
He said the delegation was encouraged by Benfica’s ambitions on the African continent and wanted to understand how the Portuguese club was implementing its programmes.
“They have got quite a number of projects in Africa, in particular Ivory Coast, where they are accredited.
“So, we were impressed by what we actually saw in some of the African countries. We wanted to find out how they are doing it and what we can take from them,” he said.
Benfica’s visit to Chahwanda Stadium represents a significant opportunity for Hardrock to strengthen its engagement with an established European football institution and explore ways of improving its development structures.
