adminMzingaye Sibanda Sports Reporter
FAMONA based, FMH Academy have pulled out of the Bulawayo Junior Soccer League as they are not happy with the way it is being run.
FMH was founded in 2009, it consists of three junior teams from Under-14 to Under-18, with a senior team in the Bulawayo Province Division Two league.
FMH have had a vibrant junior programme which saw them produce five players for Bulawayo and two for Matabeleland South Province soccer teams at this year’s Zimbabwe National Youth Games.
They have produced several players for Division One teams which include Bulawayo Chiefs striker Toto Banda, Bantu Rovers leftback Tale Banda and Chicken Inn’s Matthew Saka.
One of their most promising players is Mzingwane High School starlet Innocent Chifamba who lifted the Copa Coca-Cola cup last year and was part of the Zimbabwe team that won the continental cup in South Africa two weeks ago.
In an interview yesterday FMH founder and director France Ndlovu said they have decided to pull out of the junior league because of poor treatment.
“Any football club is there to make profit out of its involvement in the long run. No club can afford to be the breeding ground for others. If you are not guaranteed of any returns it’s a bad business for the developmental side,” said Ndlovu yesterday.
His Under-16s have played in the Benjani Mwaruwari finals in the last two years.
At the centre of the storm are player transfers to some clubs among them Highlanders in June which he says he was not happy with the way the club was treated.
Bosso requested the services of FMH youngsters Methembe Ncube, Devon and Dawn Fuzani but the academy demanded assurances that they would be compensated when these players turn professional.
Highlanders, according to Ndlovu have not committed themselves in writing. But his concerns could be tackled by the player’s passport or transfer matching system being implemented in local football.
The players were eventually registered by Bosso with the provincial youth soccer body sanctioning the move.
FMH accuse the Mkhululi Mthunzi led executive of double standards.
He says when they requested for the transfers of players from Lee Mangena’s Street Set and Ajax, Zifa never responded.
Ndlovu said the junior league should find a way that the developmental clubs benefit from their players.
“It’s sad that you train a players for four years and at the end you benefit nothing as the clubs are now using Fifa laws as a loophole that clubs cannot get anything until the player signs a professional contract.
“The administration should find a solution that the developmental sides should benefit from their products,” he said.
Street Set owner Mangena said the junior league needs a transfer-window so that clubs can avoid wrangles.
“We are now fighting relegation not because we are not good but because players can move to traditional giants any time,” said Mangena.
Mangena challenged clubs on age-cheating.
“Most clubs are now resorting to age-cheating for them to survive, they turn to bigger boys so that they win at all costs which is not good for the developmental league,” he said.
One source who preferred to remain unknown said the junior league administration is not well run.
“The junior league is run like a tuck shop as if someone owns it and is in favour of traditional giants, the rulings always go their way therefore it affects the development of smaller teams.
“You find a smaller club facing harsh conditions, no affiliation fees come end of season, the bigger clubs would have not paid theirs as well,” he said.
Mthunzi said there was no favouritism at all in the league.
Online Reporter