adminBULAWAYO was the venue for the acclaimed youth football tournament, the Copa Coca Cola, last weekend. However, while the soccer festival went on smoothly, the failure by teams from the host province to progress beyond the quarter-final stage left many tongues wagging among the game’s stakeholders in Bulawayo.
Schools from Bulawayo failed to sparkle in both the boys and girls competition raising concerns over the state of junior development in this part of the country.
Ironically, Bulawayo Province boasts of being home to Mzilikazi High School, the school which, alongside Churchill High from Harare and Masvingo’s Hippo Valley hold the record of having won the Copa Coca Cola Cup four times.
The under-16 boys and under-17 girls tournament that came to pass last Sunday, saw 24 schools from across the country converge on three venues in the city and as the host province Bulawayo had been expected to put up a good showing in the competition that was eventually won by schools from Masvingo, Dewure in the boys section and Chidyamakono in the girls contest.
Bulawayo had four representatives, Mpopoma (boys) and Magwegwe (girls) who won the provincial competitions while Gifford (boys) and Montrose (girls) entered the competition as host schools.
Mpopoma were booted out by Dewure in the quarter-finals while Gifford failed to make any progress from the group stages. Montrose and Magwegwe also proved to be poor hosts when they were also blasted to smithereens in the group stages.
Although Gifford gave a good impression in their first match beating eventual winners Dewure 3-2 they lost the next match 0-2 to Guinea Fowl leading to an early exit from the prestigious tournament that was first won by Mzilikazi High in 1989.
Bulawayo has for long been known as a powerhouse for junior football development and more had been expected from the participating schools.
Football administrators and coaches gave differing opinions on Bulawayo’s failure with some arguing that schools need to give more time to soccer in the schools calendar while others felt the province was on the right track.
Mkhululi Mthunzi, the Zifa Bulawayo Province board member responsible for junior development, said the province was in the right track because there was more emphasis on development than winning which meant abiding by the tournament rules particularly on the age of the footballers.
Mthunzi said the province uses players of the correct age and he fell short of accusing other provinces of age cheating.
“Winning is secondary for us as we are more focused on development hence we use players in the right age bracket but I do not know about other provinces. I feel we are doing well in our primary objective hence there is no need to panic,” said Mthunzi.
Famed juniors coach, Ali “Baba” Dube said less game time for school football was affecting the province’s teams.
He said the game was only played during the second term while in other provinces it was a full year sport.
“We need to change our calendar so that football is played all year round while we should also encourage our Premier Soccer League teams to work closely with schools. I heard that Guinea Fowl has a close relationship with FC Platinum and benefit through experienced and qualified coaching but in our province our clubs are not doing that,’’ said Dube, adding:
“It seems that we would need Mzilikazi to win the tourney for us again as they are the only school who have done so from Bulawayo.”
Ajax Hotspurs director Siphambaniso Dube was also of the view that the province was on the right track but felt schools were not utilising experienced and qualified coaches.
“We seem to have a problem because our schools feel it is better to rely on teachers as coaches instead of engaging those who would have the right experience, who spend all their time in the field and do not just dedicate a few hours to the sport,’’ said Sphambaniso Dube.
“In my previous experience, when one works with a school they welcome you in the initial stages but when you progress they tell you that you cannot be called to a disciplinary hearing if anything goes wrong because you are not permanently employed by the Government hence they replace you with one of their own, who goes on to lose.
“Yes, school teachers might have the right coaching certificates but they lack that practical exposure to the game for longer periods.”
Siphambaniso Dube also felt schools should have symbiotic relationships with Premiership clubs and tap into their knowledge because future talent comes from the school teams.
He said the province’s YES games team was able to win in the under 16 boys’ soccer in 2013 as they had used a qualified coach Gugulethu Ndlovu.
Siphambaniso Dube was of the opinion other provinces use over-aged players hence Bulawayo was on the right track as it focused on development.
“We know some provinces have a tendency of using older players but this kills the spirit of the game but I feel as Bulawayo we are doing well and as far as development is concerned we are on the right track even if our schools did not win,” he said.
Another football coach who declined to be named said a schools league would do the province well as it would give the young players constant practice.
derick.khumalo