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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
FAST Rising Majesa Academy have been invited to be part of the European scouting soccer tournament which is scheduled for Zambia next week.
The Mutare-based academy will be joined by Harare domiciled City Academy for the two-week-long tournament that will see academies from different countries in Africa go head to head in front of scouts from England, France, Sweden and the Czech Republic.
Majesa Academy co-director Charles Chave said they are excited to be part of a tournament of this magnitude which allows them to showcase the talent in their ranks. They leave for Zambia on Sunday. “The invitation letter was given to City Academy in Harare. We played a friendly with them here in Mutare as part of their preparations for the Zambia competition. Their general manager was impressed with our play and suggested we can partner on the trip to Zambia to give these youngsters a chance to be seen and market themselves.
“He felt the quality we have deserves to be marketed and communication was made with organisers and the conclusion was made that we will be going under City Academy but as Majesa Under-20 while City Academy will have age groups from Under-12 all the way to Under-20,” said Chave.
“There are too many countries coming for the tournament. We have South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, and Namibia. We are very happy about this opportunity and hopefully. We are grateful also to the directors of our academy for giving us the green light to take part in the competition,” Chave added.
The academy which produced Prosper “Kante” Padera, will also be showcasing its latest products at an international scouting tournament set for Harare next month. Padera (16) was discovered in Marange and has since been sent to Brooke House College in the United Kingdom on a US$130 000 footballing scholarship, courtesy of Prime Time Academy.
Prime Time Academy, who were founded by former Southampton striker Dexter Blackstock, will host an International Combine for 500 footballers aged between 14 and 21 from across Zimbabwe and the region in Harare on April 15.
Blackstock developed an interest in Zimbabwean football talent after attending the inaugural Marvelous Nakamba Foundation Under-17 tournament held in Bulawayo last year. The tournament was won by Majesa Academy with Padera impressive as a defensive midfielder.
Majesa, who are coached by former Motor Action star Samson Kabwe, are now ranked as one of the best academies in the country. Upon its formation, the academy set high standards of professional junior football management. As the only formally registered football academy in Mutare back then, Majesa turned Mutare Sports Club into a platform to harness football talent for primary and secondary school-going youngsters in the eastern border city. -@innocentskizoe
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