Lovemore Dube in Bulawayo [email protected]
TEN Under-16 footballers from Bulawayo flew to Germany yesterday to compete in the Bayern Munich Youth Cup, earning a rare opportunity to showcase their talent on an international stage.
Emotions ran high as the boys hugged friends and family at the Large City Hall car park before making their way to Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport for their journey to Munich, where they will join hundreds of Under-16 players from around the world for the tournament this weekend.
Bayern Munich are one of the world’s biggest football clubs and for the young players, the trip represents an opportunity to test themselves against international opposition and learn from one of football’s most celebrated institutions.
Yesterday marked the culmination of a journey that began a month ago at White City Stadium, when Bayern Munich scouts arrived in the City of Kings and Queens in search of promising young talent.
More than 100 hopefuls turned up for the trials, many wearing worn-out boots, borrowed shin guards and faded replica shirts, before pulling on Bayern Munich colours and taking to the pitch for drills under the winter sun.
The scouts watched closely, took notes and eventually selected 10 players, with local coaches and administrators observing the process from the touchline and terraces.
The selection exercise was conducted by the visiting scouts, with no local representatives involved in choosing the final squad, offering the boys an opportunity to be assessed directly by the German club’s talent identification team.
“Those guys are very professional. They showed us how trials are done. Names were sent to Germany, and the 100 boys were drawn into teams of 10 each, playing in positions they had indicated they were comfortable with,” said coach Johannes Ngodzo.
“When the Bayern guys got to White City, they read out the names and asked the boys to go into their allocated teams. We were on hand as local coaches to assist, observe and take notes of how things are done by professionals. I am happy that I am going to Germany to learn.”
Ngodzo is accompanying the players alongside fellow coach Mkhokheli Dube and team administrator Vusa Sibanda.
The boys will compete in the Bayern Munich Youth Cup, a global Under-16 tournament organised by the Bundesliga giants since 2012.
According to the club, more than 100 000 youngsters from over 15 countries have participated in the competition over the years, which combines international competition with talent identification, coaching and cultural exchange.
For some participants, the tournament has provided a pathway into professional football, with 20 former players going on to sign professional contracts or represent their national teams.
Bulawayo’s participation marks an important moment for the city’s junior football development, recalling earlier generations of young players who travelled abroad to compete and gained valuable exposure.
Bantu Rovers previously took a team to the United States, where Dion Homela and Marvelous Nakamba impressed, with several players from that group subsequently progressing to Premiership football.
Highlanders and Zimbabwe Saints also sent youngsters to the Aberdeen Festival, where Peter Ndlovu and the late Nqobizitha Maenzanise were among the standout performers, while New Orleans women’s soccer team and Inline Academy also participated in overseas tours.
The players’ families, club officials and schoolteachers gathered to see the boys off, sharing in the excitement of a journey that could open new possibilities for their footballing futures.
“I am so happy about my boys. My expectations are very high for these boys, and I know they can do it,” said Jerry Sibanda, whose Bulawayo City Academy supplied two players for the squad.
Anna Jele, the mother of Brendon Tshabangu, was equally excited as she wished the travelling delegation well. “I am very happy that my son is travelling. I wish all the boys the best,” she said.
Dube said the tournament presented an opportunity for the youngsters to showcase their abilities internationally while experiencing different cultures and learning from established football development systems.
“It is a big opportunity for them to give their very best. It is eye-opening for the boys to be in a different country and experience a different culture. There will be six different countries,” he said.
“At White City, we saw raw hunger. These boys were not playing for money. They were playing for a chance. That is what Bayern scouts look for,” he added.
The squad reflects the breadth of Bulawayo’s junior football development system, bringing together players from different clubs and communities rather than being dominated by one team.
Flame Stars are represented by Nkosiphile Moyo, while Zebra Revolution, known for developing talent in the western suburbs, has Sibusiso Nyoni and Thabiso Dube.
Bulawayo City has two representatives in Muvumbi Nenyasha and Mzingaye Sibanda, while Era Mangore comes from Young Flying Stars, Tafara Marara from Elite and Blessed Sibanda from Bulawayo Chiefs.
Talen Vision completes the squad with Brendon Tshabangu and Tinotenda Chokuda, making the delegation a cross-section of the city’s grassroots football structures.
According to a programme circulated to the delegation, the itinerary begins with the teams’ arrival on Wednesday, followed by a welcome dinner bringing together representatives from participating countries. Activities scheduled for Thursday include training sessions at the Bayern campus, coaching clinics conducted by Uefa-licensed coaches and cultural tours before the tournament gets under way at the weekend.
The young players will then have an opportunity to test their skills under the watchful eyes of Bayern’s academy staff, with the experience offering lessons that could prove valuable long after the final whistle.
For the 10 boys, the journey from Bulawayo’s dusty pitches to Munich is already a significant achievement, but their immediate ambition will be to make the most of an opportunity that many young footballers can only dream of.
TOUR PARTY
Players: Nkosiphile Moyo (Flame Stars), Sibusiso Nyoni (Zebra Revolution), Thabiso Dube (Zebra Revolution), Muvumbi Nenyasha (Bulawayo City), Mzingaye Sibanda (Bulawayo City), Era
Mangore (Young Flying Stars), Tafara Marara (Elite), Blessed Sibanda (Bulawayo Chiefs), Brendon Tshabangu (Talen Vision) and Tinotenda Chokuda (Talen Vision).
Coaches: Mkhokheli Dube and Johannes Ngodzo.
Manager: Vusa Sibanda.
