Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
DRIVEN by passion and desire to inspire young footballers to scale greater heights, Njube Hotspurs Academy founder Trust Koffi Chizunza is on a mission to right the wrongs he encountered as a player.
Koffi, a product of the defunct Amakhosi FC and Njube Sundowns juniors, who went on to have stints with Quelaton, Ajax Hotspurs and FC Windermere, says his five-year-old Njube Hotspurs Academy is on the right path towards shaping youngsters’ careers.
His career was brought to an abrupt end when he suffered a career ending injury at FC Windermere where he shared the dressing room with legends Ronald “Gidiza” Sibanda and Dazzy Kapenya.
The 38-year-old Njube-bred footie star took a football sabbatical and followed the trek to Johannesburg in pursuit of personal goals before returning home in 2017 to set up his academy.
“After my career ending injury, I took a break from football, but because of the passion I have for the game, I couldn’t be drawn away from the game that I love most.
“The academy gives me satisfaction that I can make a positive impact on youngsters, give them hope through football and take lessons from junior football to professional soccer.
I feel as Njube Hotspurs Academy we can make a difference.
“A lot of talented guys I grew up with had their promising careers go up in smoke because of lack of discipline and mentorship.
Learning from the mistakes I made as a player, what I believe the clubs and their administrators failed to provide, the academy is trying to correct past wrongs.
We are providing career guidance programmes, emphasising balancing football with the academic side and providing life skills,” said Koffi.
Presently, Njube Hotspurs Academy has boys’ teams from the Under-10 age group to the senior team.
The Under-23 side will compete in Division Three of the Zifa Bulawayo Province.
Koffi said their goal is to include girls in their programmes.
“In the long run we want to have girls as well, but the problem is that at our grounds we don’t have changing rooms.
The boys can change under trees, but that can’t happen with girls.
Our hope is that powers address the issue of dressing rooms.
“The other thing we’re appealing for is assistance in terms of being able to get football equipment, refreshments to motivate the boys after matches and transport.
Above all, we will be happy if we find well-wishers to pay school fees for some of our players coming from underprivileged families,” said Koffi.
Lawson Ndlovu, Kwanele Bhebhe and former Sundowns player Innocent Ndlovu are the academy’s coaches.
Some of the prominent footballers to have come out of Njube include Rahman Gumbo, United States of America based former national team striker Joseph Ngwenya, Danisa Phiri formerly with Sundowns, Railstars, Highlanders and Dynamos, as well as Aston Villa midfielder Marvelous Nakamba.
– @ZililoR
Online Reporter