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Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
INNOCENT Mugabe’s football development programme in Mabvuku has established international links after striking a deal with Spanish lower-tier football side, Olleria CF.
The United Kingdom-based former CAPS United and Air Zimbabwe Jets forward runs the Bob Joshua Mugabe (BJM) Academy and the recently-formed ZIFA Division Two side, Inno Cosmos.
The organisation, which is now registered as the BJM Trust, has been growing in leaps and bounds since its formation in 2013.
Mugabe, who is in the country on vacation, said he was excited by the prospects ahead after he engineered a partnership with the Spanish side.
“At the moment I have got an agreement with a football club in Spain called Olleria CF. We have agreed verbally, so the paperwork will be coming very soon.
“Under this agreement, we will be able to send our players and coaches to Spain for attachments. This is something that I am really happy about because it will give the players something very competitive.
“Who knows, one of them might go there on attachment and end up working his way through to the Spanish top-flight league?
“I have told them about this and it’s something that is really motivating them. They know their future is bright and we keep striving to create opportunities for them. My dream is to have a Premiership football club in Mabvuku,” said Mugabe.
Currently, there are a number of Zimbabwean football players who are playing in the Spanish lower leagues and they include Warriors goalkeeper Martin Mapisa and forwards Abubakar Moffat, Nicholas Guyo and Kundai Mukweva.
The BJM Academy, which was named after his late father, Bob Joshua Mugabe, plays in the Harare Elite League while Cosmos play in the ZIFA Harare Region Division Two. Mugabe, who also played for CAPS United and Air Zimbabwe Jets as a striker, is younger brother of the late former CAPS United midfield dynamo, Joe “Kode” Mugabe.
His late father was also a footballer, coach and manager; and it seems football runs in their veins. The academy was formed in 2013 and also has partnerships with schools in Mabvuku, which include Tashinga Primary School and Mabvuku High.
Mugabe is passionate about football development and has appealed to the football authorities to give more support and opportunities to junior football.
“We have Under-10s, 12s, 14s, 16s and 18s and now we have a senior side, Inno Cosmos. We have more than 100 kids that we work with in those different categories and we don’t want them to end there.
“I wish we could go back to what used to happen in the past so that people would appreciate the talent out there. Remember when we still had junior leagues where junior teams would feature as curtain-raisers before top-flight games?
“I wish ZIFA and the Premier Soccer League would structure these leagues that we are coming up with, as academies, and use them to their advantage.
“If they could arrange for the registered junior teams and academies to play as curtain-raisers at the domestic Premiership games since most of these do not have junior teams, it will give the kids good exposure.
“This is what used to happen when we were still playing. I hope the stakeholders will seriously talk about it. It will be good for us to have junior football being played all the time. Exposure is critical for these kids.
“They should get used to playing before crowds at Rufaro or the National Sports Stadium so that when they grow up it will not be something new to them,” said Mugabe.
Mugabe told The Herald that his wish was to see Mabvuku back on the map. The suburb is known for producing some football legends like legendary goalkeeper Brenna Msiska, Albert “Dalala’’ Mabika, Steven Jonhera, Joe Cocker, the Mugeyi twins Wilfred and William, the late Joe Mugabe and Marshall Munetsi, who is currently playing for French Ligue One side Reims.
“Initially when I started this project, I approached people like Brenna Msiska, Albert Mabika, Steven Jonhera and my late brother (Joe Mugabe).
“Up to now, I am in touch with Brenna. He comes to our training sessions, follows the team to their games just to inspire the players and to give them a bit of information about how to prepare for games.
“We have a dedicated technical staff led by Peter Mugwendere, a teacher by profession and very passionate about the game. He is working with Jabulani Kayaya and Richard Chibundo.
“I am also getting the support from the local guys whom I played with in top-flight football, which is quite good. This is a community project that I fund, with the support of my wife, Memory, and Woodley Saints Football Club that I once coached in the UK.
“It is encouraging that the Mabvuku community is coming up again. We also have Ali Sundowns and More Love in Mabvuku and they are both playing in Division Two.
“So I think it’s something that is really good for the community. I am happy with what they are doing and I appreciate the collaboration.
“We (Inno Cosmos) played a game on Saturday and they played on Sunday, and almost everyone in Mabvuku was following the games, so it’s giving the community something to look forward to. Basketball has come back again and Mabvuku has a team that is playing in the Harare Basketball League.
“I appreciate the efforts being made to keep the Mabvuku community occupied, especially by giving the youth something to keep them occupied so that they stay away from the lure of drugs and other social vices.”
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