malvernmugadzikwa
Online Reporter
Despite boasting of numerous current and former soccer stars with roots from the province, Mashonaland East does not have a team in the Premier Soccer League.
A number of football stars, including former Kaizer Chiefs captain Willard Katsande and Daniel Veremu (who won the league championship with Gunners in 2009), trace their roots from the province.
Both Katsande and Veremu hail from Mutoko, the location of the popular Chikondoma Stadium, which has hosted many bruising Division One football games.
A few kilometres from Mutoko Centre lies Kanyongo Business Centre, which will host the latest edition of the KB Kanyongo Football Tournament this Saturday.
All is set for the annual tournament, which will be graced by several football personalities, including 1996 Soccer Star of the Year Stewart “Shutto” Murisa.
Kanyongo and Star City will play in the final, with Karonga and Gumbure battling for third and fourth positions.
The KB Kanyongo tournament is one of the few platforms being given to rural-based footballers, yet various development coaches agree that there is reasonable talent in the remote areas.
“I believe this is one of the many ways we can help our children in the rural areas to get opportunities to showcase their talents.
“It’s also part of giving back to the communities that we hail from,” said Gideon Kanyongo, one of the tournament’s sponsors.
The KB Kanyongo tournament is the brain-child of the Kanyongo family, whose members were born and raised in Mutoko.
Some of them are now based in the United States.
“Children of today are faced with a number of challenges and social vices, including drug abuse and prostitution, so we believe football is a potent way of saving them from these ills,” added Kanyongo.
Former CAPS United star forward Murisa, who is now a youth football development coach at Yadah, hopes to identify players “for further recommendations.”
“I am happy to be part of this programme, because I believe so much in junior football development, being someone who benefited from such,” said Murisa.
“I was scouted by Wieslaw Grabowski in Chitungwiza before he developed me into a player that I became, so I believe these kids should also be given the same opportunity,” he said.
Previous editions of the KB Kanyongo tournament were attended by a number of top coaches, including Tonderai Ndiraya, Naison Muchekela and Gift Muzadzi.
Ndiraya, who was then with Dynamos, identified three players during the 2021 edition, whom he afforded a chance to train with DeMbare.
Online Reporter