Challenge League starts

Sports Reporter
JUNIOR football in Harare will open a new chapter today when the Challenge Football League gets underway at Hellenic Sports Club this morning. The league, an initiative of a coalition of some academies from the capital, will be playing all their matches at Hellenic Sports Club in order to contain the costs that are associated with travel and having to book some venues.

Former Zimbabwe international defender Dickson Choto’s DC Academy will get the ball rolling when they face Cranborne in a mid-morning game that will be followed by a clash between Eagles and Galaxy.

Galaxy hogged the limelight last year when they were invited to Zambia to play a curtain raiser match on the occasion of that country’s Independence Day celebrations.

The league, which has already received the blessings of ZIFA technical director Wilson Mutekede and the endorsement of the association’s president Felton Kamambo, will be one of the platforms that will provide national Under-17 and Under-20 coaches with a base from which to search for talent.

A number of young players from the academies have already shown a lot of potential and these include Douglas Mapfumo, Tinotenda Andford and Tafadzwa Nkomo from the hosts Legends Academy.

Legends who got some rave reviews from former Dutch international Patrick Kluivert when he visited with the Barcelona Legends two years ago, will square off with Sportsvale in the final match of the day at 3pm.

Sportsvale will look up to Tashinga Maramwidze, Admire Lifayana and Prosper Ngwerume for inspiration

Before Legends tackle Sportsvale, the likes of the Eagles trio of Anesu Mufumha, Kelvin Saulosi and Tawanda Joseph as well as the pair of Gerald Bhoko and Kelvin Makunde of DC would have had a chance to showcase their talents.

Although the teams will be competing for points, League chairman Farai Dhliwayo has insisted that development is their major objective.

“Although the boys are competing against each other, the academies are working closely together to develop the best talent and it is development which must and which will be the biggest winner from all this,’’ Dhliwayo said.

CFL weekend fixtures

Cranborne vs DC Academy (11am):

Eagles Academy vs Galaxy football Academy (1pm)

Legends Academy vs Sportsvale Academy (3pm)