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Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
HIGH-RIDDING and Mutare-based Manicaland Juniors of Excellence (MAJESA) will probably provide the biggest chunk of the travelling party in the inaugural Universal Football Management tour of South Africa this weekend.
The Charles and Nomsa Chave-owned football academy is continuing with its Midas Touch after outstanding performances in recent competitions.
Only a fortnight ago, MAJESA, who are the reigning Marvellous Nakamba Under-17 Tournament champions reached the finals of the Universal Football Management competition held at Prince Edward High School in Harare to earn the right to have nine of their players travelling to Cape Town, South Africa.
In South Africa, some of the teams that Team Zimbabwe representatives will square off against include Ubuntu Football, Cape Town Spurs, Nova Nacional and Table View Football Club.
In the tournament played in Harare recently, MAJESA eventually succumbed to a 2-4 penalty lottery defeat at the hands of Aces Academy after the two teams had remained deadlocked nil-all in regulation time.
Goalkeepers, Tafadzwa Magadu and Joseph Kaunda, defenders, Tanaka Watyoka, Tadiwanashe Mukosera, midfielders, Prosper “Kante” Padera, Promise Sithole, Leon Mukonya, Norest Mazemo and strikers, Silas Mugari, Shaunray Mandaza and Keith Muzengeza are part of the travelling team.
They will be accompanied by members of MAJESA technical team that include Samson Kabwe, who is head of the technical department and Panganai Chabuka who is responsible for administration and marketing.
MAJESA director, Charles Chave said: “We really want to thank the orgainsers of the tournament who made this possible. It is something that gives our lads the much-needed exposure and we are really grateful for that.
“We are also grateful to the Sports and Recreation Commission and Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) for clearing the trip. In the same breadth, we sincerely call upon the authorities in football in this country to ensure these junior football academies and teams get more game time through these competitions.”
Co-director, Nomsa Chiadzwa-Chave weighed in saying: “With the prevailing ban on international football for Zimbabwe, we can never underestimate the importance of such trips and tournament. We are really grateful to the organisers and sponsors. It is my prayer and hope that our young players will navigate their way up and use these tournaments to showcase their talents.”
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