Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo in BEIJING, China
ZIFA president Nqobile Magwizi says Jadel Football Academy is fast becoming a standard bearer in giving youngsters international exposure.
The Mbare-based nursery are here for the 100 Teams Cup tournament.
Jadel FA are, for the fourth time on the bounce, set to take part in the internationally-recognised annual jamboree.
It runs from tomorrow in the Chinese capital.
Nine Zimbabwean players will fuse with their colleagues from the academy headquarters in China as they fight to defend their badge.
And, Magwizi cannot help but marvel at the depth and scope of the arrangement, made by founder Walter “Ringers” Musanhu.
Musanhu started the academy in Beijing seven years ago before establishing yet another one back home.
Since then, Jadel FA has grown from strength to strength getting endorsement from both the Governor and the general football fraternity given the way they are promoting international exposure for the kids. “As ZIFA, we are fully behind projects like the Jadel Football Academy because we are development oriented,” said Magwizi.
“We fully understand that everything should start right from the grassroots, follow a systematic pathway until we can have a Warrior or a Mighty Warrior.
“This is exactly the way Jadel Football Academy is doing its business.
“They are simply complementing our efforts as ZIFA to nurture talent and polish it up.
“As you maybe already aware, we are running our own grassroots programme, the ZIFA BancABC Grassroots Impact, which academies like Jadel are fully in support of.
“In fact, we have seen players from Jadel Academy flourishing during this BancABC Roots Impact tournament.”
He added:
“That should give you a proper picture of what I mean when I say we should hail projects like Jadel FA. “Currently, they have taken the youngsters to China for some famous annual tournament there.
“That’s the kind of exposure we always want to see our young players getting used to.
“I would like to take this opportunity to salute them for playing a huge role in supporting our vision as ZIFA.”
From the Jadel FA five players, two of them here in China on this tour, are playing for Harare Province in the BancABC Roots Impact tournament.
Sean Pesani and Malcom Dinyero are the two players.
“I am happy with how the players have acclimatised to conditions in China,” said Musanhu.
“They are blending in well with their Chinese colleagues and I am confident we will win.
“But I should say I am really humbled with the amount of support that we are receiving from Zimbabwe, right from the Government, the Sports and Recreation Commission and ZIFA.
“This kind of support can only help spur us on as we seek to help the Zimbabwe Warriors and Mighty Warriors qualify for the World Cup.
“We have been running with our vision which is to see this age group qualifying for the 2034 World Cup.”
