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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER Highlanders and national team shot-stopper Johannes Tshuma will hold a two-day goalkeepers’ training camp that will start on Tuesday, December 13 at Crescent Sports Club.
Dubbed as “Goalkeepers Master Class”, the open programme is targeting aspiring goalkeepers from primary and secondary schools, those who play in the juniors, Division Three, Two and One Soccer Leagues.
Tshuma said even topflight goalkeepers who are off-season and wish to get some tips to add to their skills are welcome.
A Fifa-certified goalkeepers’ coach, Tshuma who has been working on establishing a goalkeepers’ academy in Bulawayo, appealed to clubs and parents to release footballers for next week’s training.
“To parents, guardians and clubs, please allow kids to come for the goalkeepers’ training programme where I’ll be coaching them on goalkeeping at Crescent Sports Club from December 13-14.
“Registration fee to the programme is US$5 and this is meant to help each other to improve goalkeepers’ training. Passion for goalkeeping has made me organise this programme and in a way I’ll be giving back to the community.There are some people who also taught me goalkeeping skills hence I am reciprocating,” said Tshuma.
The former Bulawayo Wanderers, Eagles and Hwange goalkeeper has trained among notable goalkeepers, former national team pair Tapiwa Kapini and Washington Arubi.
Popularly known as SaMaTshu, Tshuma who during his playing days produced breath-taking saves and had amazing ball distribution skills, noted that most goalkeepers struggle at a later stage as they were not taught proper goalkeeping fundamentals at the grassroot.
“In the long run, my desire is to set up a base where I’ll train the goalkeepers, especially young ones because if you look at most teams, they don’t have goalkeepers’ trainers for juniors. The coach concentrates on infield players and the goalkeeper is left out.
“If you ask, how many Division Three, Division Two or school teams have goalkeepers’ trainers, you’ll be shocked that most don’t. Most clubs don’t see the need to have a goalkeepers’ coach.
“The same attention given to infield players is what should be given to a keeper if the country is to produce good goalkeepers,” said Tshuma. — @ZililoR
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter