Caps United robbed of exciting prospect

Sports Reporter
Harare giants Caps United have been robbed of one of their most enterprising young forwards, Tinovimba Muskwe, who has opted to pursue educational studies in the United States of America. An exciting left-footed player who was mainly used in attack by coach Taurai Mangwiro in the duo’s first full season with Makepekepe last year, Muskwe will be enrolling for a football scholarship at university this year and has dropped out of the 30-man squad registered by the club for the 2014 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.

Muskwe, who completed his high school at Prince Edward last year, was among a cluster of youthful footballers who turned up for the university trial recently held by Friendly Academy at Hellenic Sports Club in Harare and conducted by Barry Gorman, a top collegiate scout from the US.

Muskwe’s father, Partridge, who is the technical director at Friendly Academy — owned by Richard Solobala — confirmed the development and said his son’s breakthrough meant he had to put his professional career on hold.

“Tino is no longer a Caps United player by reason of this scholarship. Although he will leave in August, the rules do not allow him to earn wages during the subsistence of his study period which is four years unless it’s for national duty,’’ said Muskwe Snr.

The Green Machine’s rivals, Dynamos, were also affected after losing third-choice goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva, through the same programme.
Muskwe and Mukuruva form a group of eight players who were selected at the end of the three-day trial sponsored by Spar Athenities and G-Tel.
Unheralded Irvine Machote, Rodney Chiunga, Tichaona Chinamasa, Selby Saurombe, Nyasha Munetsi and Hillary Ngami from Friendly Academy also caught the selectors’ eye.

All the players are aged between 18 and 22 and join a growing list of youths already released by the academy for overseas scholarships.
Solobala attested that the scouts were impressed by the talent they discovered but stressed that the scholarships had partial sponsorship and the players’ guardians were entitled to meet half the required fees and were therefore appealing for corporate assistance.