Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube and Media Mpofu
A new football academy was launched in Bulawayo yesterday morning with the aim of developing children born after 2013 into world class footballers in the next five years.
Jadel Football Academy owned by Walter Musanhu who is based in China and has a footprint there and another in Harare, kicked off its presence in Bulawayo with Danny Phiri and Vorster Chitemu appointed to be in charge.
Musanhu who played for Motor Action before moving to China said he was excited to be bringing his academy to Bulawayo.
He said among the things he wants to accomplish with his effort is to help the fight against drug and substance abuse.
“After observing the rise in drug abuse among youths, we established Jadel Football Academy, which aims to take the kids out of the streets, fight against drug abuse, racism, tribalism and child abuse in Zimbabwe,” said Musanhu.
Another goal he said he was keen to accomplish with his academy is promotion of sports tourism and cultural exchange programmes.
Jadel has been in existence for six years.
He envisages a situation where the academy provides off the field mentorship to young players.
Musanhu is already paying school fees for some of the most promising players under his programme and emphasised that his academy does not make players pay.
“Jadel FA is not just about football, it’s purely to do with on and off the field and mentorship as we have both girls and boys and I am paying school fees for some of the kids,” said Musanhu.
He said the difference between his and other academies was their belief as Jadel that, talent comes from less privileged communities such as Mbare and Makokoba.
Musanhu said children from some of the communities cannot afford to pay for their children to attend football academies.
Unlike other academies that cannot even travel within Zimbabwe, his, travels even abroad.
“We let our kids travel to Spain, Germany and China, I am sure you are aware that we won the best team in China last year,” he said.
He said his target is to see fruits of his project by 2034 through a meticulous, home-grown scientific programme that will have some of the kids playing a prominent role in the 2034 Zimbabwe World Cup squad.
“We are going to do more than what Morocco did, we are going to produce a team, which no other team would want to play against,” he said.
Morocco is one of the stand-out countries in football development in Africa and has had its national teams qualifying for major events through well-articulated programmes.
