Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
JUNIOR football – an integral part of football talent development – that had been neglected over the years appears to be on a recovery path after the election of individuals with a known track to spearhead its development in the Mutare District Junior Soccer League.
Obert Mucheto was duly elected as the new Mutare District Junior Soccer League chairman, while Washington Mandizha was elected as the vice-chairman.
Losing chairmanship candidate, Malvern ‘Chibaba CheScottland’ Makarau, walked off the venue with his tail firmly tucked between his legs after failing to garner a single vote.
Clap Murato, Farai Musariyarwa, Panganai Mbaradza and Brian Lokuza Mukunga were elected as the Mutare District Junior Soccer League board members.
During the election, chairman, Mucheto, a former referee and Mutare City Rovers executive committee member, garnered nine votes, while the vice-chairman, Mandizha, the director and founder of Sakubva United, had eight.
Murato, the former Sakubva United co-director, had 17 votes.
Farai Musariyarwa, the chairman of Musariyarwa Family Trust, which has been sponsoring Under-13s for almost 10 years, earned 16 votes to be part of the board.
Brian Mukunga, director of Sheckon Stars Junior Football Club in Mutare, snatched 11 votes to be part of the board.
Mbaradza, a MAJESA Academy administrator and Mutare Junior Soccer League partner for almost 14 years, was also elected a board member after amassing 15 votes.
Mbaradza said: “We are excited that we have managed to go through the election period where junior football was the winner. All those elected into the committee are individuals who have a known track record of promoting junior football. They all have a passion for junior football, therefore we have no doubt that the game is now in the right direction as far as junior football is concerned in the city of Mutare.”
Mbaradza, himself a football enthusiast and son of the late Tanganda FC legend Johnson Mbaradza, said their immediate task is to lure corporate partnership to junior football as it is the bedrock of talent development.
