Andrew
Online Reporter
FC PORTO have become the latest European football outfit to show interest in spreading its wings into Zimbabwe.
The Portuguese club is expected to hold a junior football camp in the country in May.
An initiative of GS Zimbabwe in partnership with FC Porto, the camp will see officials from the club’s Dragon Force Summer Camp conduct a five-day clinic with some of the country’s budding football players.
“The idea here is to improve Zimbabwean football, and we decided that the best way to do so was to start at the bottom and work our way up,” said GS Zimbabwe spokesperson Tanaka Chimanga.
“It is easy to start an academy, but for you to compete on the international stage, you have to benchmark.
“So, our idea as GS Zimbabwe was to start an academy with international partnerships, where we don’t just work on player development alone, but also on coach development.
“We then scoured the market looking for an ideal international partner that fit our module in which emphasis is put on both coaching and junior skills development. FC Porto fit that module,” he said.
The Portuguese football giants already have a thriving junior football programme – the Dragon Force Summer Football Camp – in which they offer boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 21 an opportunity to get professional training and learn more about the methodology and philosophy of the famous Portuguese football club.
During camp, participants are taken through the paces by trained professionals.
They are taught the importance of individual skills, technique, accuracy and power of shots, progression of passing techniques and preparation for matches.
They are also introduced to topics such as nutrition and sports psychology.
Two coaches from the Dragon Force Summer Camp are expected in the country in May, during which they will conduct a five-day clinic for 60 players and four selected coaches.
“We have already agreed on the mechanism of the deal with the club, and they will send coaching instructors to come in and teach a selected number of young players (60) and coaches (four) the fundamentals of the game,” added Chimanga.
“It’s a long-term partnership and this is where the selected coaches come in.
“The idea is to establish an academy and the four coaches we have identified will form the core of that academy.
“The coaches will carry on the work of the Dragon Force Summer camp instructors, and we plan to establish links between the two parties for further tutoring and knowledge exchange.”
FC Porto is one of the “Big Three” teams in Portugal, together with Lisbon-based rivals Benfica and Sporting CP.
They have appeared in every season of the Primeira Liga since its establishment in 1934.
They are the second most decorated team in Portugal with 79 major trophies, of which 72 were achieved in domestic competitions.
These comprise of 29 Primeira Liga titles, 17 Taça de Portugal, four Campeonato de Portugal and a record 22 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira.
In international competitions, Porto is the most decorated Portuguese team with seven trophies.
But GS Zimbabwe consider their contribution to coaching as invaluable.
“Portugal is a key destination when you look at their performance on the world stage, the statistics in terms of Euros, World Cup participation and the Nations League speaks for themselves,” added the GS Zimbabwe spokesperson.
“However, one of the key goals we want to achieve is to create as many quality coaches as players, and Portugal has produced quite a number over the years.
“We have Portuguese coaches that have come through like Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo, Andre Villas-Boas and a few others currently making a name for themselves.
“Portugal has also produced some quality players, too, and I don’t think I have to mention them by name.
“All these made FC Porto an ideal partner and they were very accommodative to us when we approached them.”
Online Reporter