Chronicle Editor
Nkosilathi Sibanda in Lupane
AMBITIOUS Lupane-based Mtshibini Young Stars plan to establish a youth football academy to help nurture talented young players in rural Matabeleland North.
The team was formed in 2017 and finished second in the new Lupane Soccer League, which was won by Lupane City.
With a development policy already in place, the club sees itself following in the footsteps of Tsholotsho FC, a rural team that broke into the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.
Mtshibini Young Stars sponsor, Letsweletse Nsimbi, a Lupane native with business interests locally and in Botswana, believes the club is capable of bringing topflight football to the rural community.
“Junior player development is the way to go. What can stop us from achieving? The team has a lot of youngsters who deserve to be at a higher level in football. The talent is amazing. I was startled to note that what we see at Mtshibini is far much better than what fans watch in the PSL. This is what pushed me to mobilise resources and fund the team, with the ultimate goal being to establish an academy,” said Nsimbi.
“As Mtshibini Young Stars, what we seek to achieve is to give promising youngsters an opportunity to play on the world stage. Why should one play soccer in Lupane only? Through this team, we will be playing our part in talent development and taking the boys off the streets.
“My clarion call to parents of Lupane is that they must encourage their kids to develop a liking for sport. Soccer is now a business worldwide, players live off the ball, they are the most well paid people we know. Allow your children to play the game and fulfil their dreams.”
He said youngsters must be given an opportunity to discover themselves through sport and told of the benefits of professional sport from an early age.
He said once the academy is set up, players from Mtshibini Young Stars and other teams in the Lupane League will be taken for trials in Botswana and South Africa.
“To show that we mean business, already we are creating beneficial relations with football clubs in Botswana and South Africa. This means our players will undergo trials starting from next year. From the dust of Lupane, they will go and show that talent is in abundance in Matabeleland North,” he said.
Other teams in the Lupane Soccer League include United Forces, Hotspurs, Shining Stars, Mhlahlandlela and Invaders.
Sport and Recreation Commission officer for Lupane Abelson Mahlangu commended Mtshibini Young Stars for their vision.
“This is a good example of what other districts ought to do. Lupane Soccer League is part of the sport and recreational community club system. We heartily thank Nsimbi for his unwavering support for both Mtshibini Young Stars and the entire league. Now there is vibrancy in Lupane in terms of community support and talent identification,” said Mahlangu.
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