Makekera chases his big dream

Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
WHILE many administrators in the domestic game’s leadership have paid lip service to development and prioritising personal fights, a middle-aged businessman Phil Makekera is following in the footsteps of such institutions like Aces Youth Academy and Agatha Shenneti.

His venture is taking the Eastern Region Division One Soccer League by storm.

Makekera, who is based in the United Kingdom, has set up the Hartley Academy, whose first team competes in the Eastern Region Division One League and enjoys a two-point lead over their nearest rivals Masvingo United.

Hartley this week had one of their top strikers, Kudakwashe Kumwala, snapped up by Harare City after scoring 24 goals in 14 matches.

They also have players ranging from the ages of six to 17 training at Alex Sports Club in the capital every weekend.

Midfielder Clement Zimondi, striker Brandon Mushamaenza, goalkeeper Nelson Chadya and Naison Demera, young brother to former Gunners hitman Moses, are at the Academy and there are high hopes they will make a big impact.

Makekera has also roped in former Zimbabwe youth coach Rodwell Dhlakama into the coaching structures, with the former Monomotapa gaffer being appointed the technical director and supervising a pool of coaches such as Takura Shariwa and Herbert Mhundwa.

The 38-yar-old entrepreneur, who grew up in Chegutu, yesterday spoke about his ambitious project and the ground they have covered since forming Hartley Academy in Chegutu in August last year before relocating to Harare at the start of the year.

“What drove me to start this project is my passion for football. I want us to make a difference in the community and I think football can keep a lot of kids out of the streets and offer them a way of life.

“In a way, I am giving back to the community through this project. We are now in Harare and also have plans to further develop the academy and the community in Harare.

“We believe we should bring back the glory days to our football. We had some successful academies in the past like Agatha Shenneti and Aces and we now want to take it to another level and do things that are done in Europe’’.

Although he is based in the United Kingdom, Makekera often flies back home and around the African continent and he believes Zimbabwe has enough talent in football to drive the Warriors to dizzy heights.

“The level of football here is high. I also strongly believe that there is a lot to do to harness the talent in the country. If we come together and channel more resources towards development of the game we can go places’’.

Despite having a team that is leading the Eastern Region log table and seemingly poised for promotion into the Premiership, Makekera said they had not lost focus of their mission of nurturing young talent.

“We have also tried by all means to ensure that we get the correct ages of players by verifying with organisations like the Registrar-General’s office and meeting up with parents to ascertain the correct ages of the players.

“We have also tried to spread our catchment across the entire nation, going around as far as we can.

“The fact that we are chasing promotion into the PSL has not in any way affected us because we actually feel it gives a chance to our youngsters to get a platform to compete among themselves and against good opposition,” he said.

Makekera noted with concern the fact that the Eastern Region, unlike their counterparts in the Northern zone, remain unbranded and without any single sponsor or technical partner.

“The biggest challenge is that clubs will be expecting some financial rewards whenever they compete, but in the Eastern Region matches are spread wide and it is expensive to travel and if there was sponsorship it would have eased the clubs’ plight.

“I believe that at this level, which is just the second tier after the Premiership, we should also be having some of the games screened on television and give more exposure to the league.

“I also think the authorities should look at better ways of professionally handling the game because we have noted that there are some unethical things being done off the pitch just for a team to try and win yet we would want a situation where a team is promoted into the PSL on merit.

“ZIFA should ensure that all our leagues are run professionally; they have to start at the top and if we are transparent from ZIFA, it will cascade to the lower leagues.

“But it would also be unfair to blame ZIFA alone and if we start ourselves to do the right things at club or academy level, it can influence change for the better.’’