Chronicle Editor
Nkosilathi Sibanda, Online Reporter
BUDDING young football players from Ponel Youth Soccer Academy of Dete were commended for their promising talent when they took part in an invitational tournament at Belgravia Sports Club in Harare last weekend.
The Matabeleland North Province-based football institution participated in an Under-12 Jadel Football Academy Invitational Tournament which drew seven developmental teams from around the country.
Among the teams were Golden Lions, Golden Eagles Ali Sundowns and the Jadel Academy, Jadel Football Academy China, Jadel Academy Zimbabwe and Springs Football Club.
Ponel Youth Soccer Academy’s nine-year-old Vusumusi Mpala was the toast of the contest, emerging as the best player.
Strikers Desmond Mhlanga, Sibusiso Moyo, who are 11 years old and centreback Gilbert Nyoni were part of the best 11 players selected at the tournament.
The tournament was the academy’s first major competition outside their base this year, and the players’ performance left the academy’s director Nelson Ndeka a proud man.
Ndeka said his players showed that they can match any challenge on the field of play of the same age.
“We are really proud of what they did. It showed that as Ponel Youth Soccer Academy we have all it takes to compete in any part of the country. That has got the players confident as they now can gauge how good they are against players from big cities,” said Ndeka.
In their first match, Ponel Youth Soccer Academy faced Golden Eagles in a match they lost 1-0. They went on to lose Ali Sundowns on a 2-1 scoreline.
Mhlanga netted the solitary goal.
Ndeka said they faced tough encounters and never got a win but, were glad to have had some of their players being identified as achievers.
“We loved every moment of the tournament. Our boys were excellent and they matched the best in the country. Now we have a measure and it’s one thing we wanted to know if indeed we were on the right track in our talent development programme.
“We thank everyone who supported us. We are grateful to our supporters who assisted us on our trip to Harare.”
Ponel Youth Soccer Academy grooms over 100 young football players from the ages of 7 to 18.
Ndeka told Zimpapers Sports Hub that, already they have gone up a step further by establishing a competitive football league for players under the age of 13 up to 19 in Dete and surrounding areas.
“We have initiated an Under-13 boys’ football league the same way we did with the Under-15s in Dete, Hwange rural in 2022.
We would want that to also accommodate the Under 19s,” said Ndeka.
“The future of football in the country lies in training our youngsters who will play for national teams. In the few years we have been in the business of training young talent, we have appreciated there are a lot of players who have what it takes to become stars and they need our assistance.”-@NkosieLegend
Online Reporter