Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
FORMER Highlanders hitman Abraham Mbaiwa says one of the long-term effects of not having any junior football for over a year due to the Covid-19 lockdown will be mediocre players playing in the topflight league in a few years’ time.
It’s now over a year since junior players kicked a ball and Mbaiwa is worried about the effects of the lengthy period of inactivity.
“As it stands, the biggest challenge is the boys are stagnant at home and do not have much or anything to concentrate on. They have already lost another year and there is no hope in sight when they might return to the field of play. This long break is likely to affect their fitness and mentality,” said Mbaiwa.
“They should be moving from one stage to another gradually, but in this situation they are skipping age groups which is detrimental. In the end what you will have are players playing in the Premier Soccer League, but lacking basic football skills.”
He said it’s not only players that have been affected by the lockdown restrictions, but coaches as well.
“Yes, you might read on your own and go through some stuff on the internet, but there is need for refresher courses because that’s where you learn more about the game than studying alone,” he said.
Mbaiwa is a product of the Highlanders’ once vibrant junior policy and was coached by veteran Ali “Baba” Dube, along with the likes of Johannes Ngodzo, Mkhokheli Dube, Honour Gombami and Wellington Sibanda.
He played for Mzilikazi High School which won the Nash Copa Coca-Cola Under-16 Boys tournament in 2001 with the likes of Dube, Vusa Nyoni, Thembani Masuku, Petros Ngodzo and Castro Ndebele. — @innocenskizoe
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