Fokoza believes in grassroots focus

Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent

SOUTH Africa-based juniors coach, Fortune Ncube believes focusing on grassroots is the way to go in improving the fortunes of local football.

Ncube, who this weekend will host the third edition of the Fortune ‘‘Fokoza’’ Ncube Juniors’ Football tournament, said putting the right ingredients at a tender age was vital in empowering future players.

“I think focusing on developing talent and less on competition will allow our youngsters to develop well, absorb skill and be better players.

What players at a tender age need is more game time and more time with the ball at training,” said Ncube, who is attached at Sporting CP Portugal Academy in Johannesburg.

The former Bantu Rovers player recently took charge of his side in the Iber Cup held in Portugal and featured teams from countries all over the world. Fokoza, as Ncube is affectionately known, said the juniors tourney brings exposure to juniors giving them a different platform to shine.

The eight-team tournament will be held on 1 September at Esikwakweni Ground in Entumbane. Highlanders, Chicken Inn, Zebra Revolution, Bulawayo Chiefs, FMSA, City Rovers, Dulibadzimu from Beitbridge and ALMA from Harare have been invited to take part of the event. Zebra Revolution are the defending champions and also won the inaugural edition. Tournament spokesman, Mike Dube said all is in place for the tournament.

“We expect to have a bigger tournament this year. We call on all soccer enthusiasts to come and witness the emerging talent mainly from the city but also those coming from outside. We have an assortment of prizes on offer that we are still finalising on prizes with our sponsors BOC Gas,” Dube said.

In addition to talent identification, one of the main motives of the tournament is to help the community fight against drug abuse through raising awareness.