adminRashiwe Murisa Sports Reporter
FOUR teenage soccer players from Harare’s BN Academy have been presented with a life-changing career opportunity after they were selected to travel to Germany next week for trials at VfB Lubeck.
The trials, which have been facilitated under the GeBe Foundation, will run from January 9 to 17.
The GeBe Foundation’s main objective is to enhance, empower and assist youth in-order to add value to their lives.
The four players that will be travelling to Germany are Elson Mweha (18), Tyrone Matongorere (17), Matthew Chukwuma (17) and Nigel Mutsonziwa (16).
They will be accompanied by Tatenda Nyoni, a member of the BN Academy’s technical department.
The director of BN Academy, Bekhimpilo Nyoni, said he is proud of what his academy is doing in nurturing young talent in the country.
“Our boys will be leaving for Germany next week for trials, which have been facilitated by the GeBe Foundation who are based in Hamburg, Germany, and we are proud of what we are doing as an academy, which is giving these boys an opportunity to further their careers in football.
“The boys are some of my talented players whom I think, if given an opportunity, have the potential to breakthrough because the idea is to have one or two players making a breakthrough in professional football overseas. So I believe they have got the quality in terms of technique and tactical awareness,” said Bekhimpilo Nyoni.
The four Zimbabwean players are likely to be joined in Germany by two other young stars from South Africa who have also been invited for trials in the European country by the GeBe Foundation.
Bernd Wulffen, the founder and director of the GeBe Foundation, told The Herald from his base in Hamburg yesterday that they were expecting six players from Zimbabwe and South Africa who will undergo a two-week trial period at VfB Lubeck.
“We are expecting four players from the BN Academy in Zimbabwe as well as two others from South Africa who have been recommended by our new partner in that country, Butler Masango,” Wulffen said.
Masango is a former Zimbabwe youth international who is now running his own academy in Johannesburg and he indicated yesterday that he is likely to be engaged by the GeBe Foundation as their chief scout in Africa.
The GeBe Foundation is a non-profit organisation from Germany who partner with other organisations to support education, sport, culture and social development in disadvantaged communities.
They also facilitate tours, events, education and sports development programmes meant to enhance, empower and assist in youth development.
Nyoni said more players from his academy will be going abroad this year for football trials.
“The year 2019 has started well for the academy as it prepares for the visit by Football CV Academy’s coach Grant Brown who will be in the country for the second time from April 23-28 for a coaching clinic.
Online Reporter