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Grace Chingoma-Senior Sports Reporter
THE touring Real Betis Zimbabwe Academy held their first training session in Spain yesterday under the guidance of Real Betis coaches.
The Zimbabwean delegation, that is on a 10-day training camp in Spain, arrived in the European country on Saturday and checked in at the hotel where the Real Betis senior team was staying at the weekend ahead of their friendly match against Manchester United.
They also attended the match between Real Betis and the English Premiership giants at the 60 000-seater Benito Villamarín Stadium.
Yesterday, they got down to business and had their first training session.
The players were welcomed by Technical Director, Juan Parra, together with coach Javier and our admin host Paula.
Some of the senior players in the academy, namely leading goal scorer Nokutenda Mangezi, Tashinga Muzadzi, Nigel Limula and Miguel Bones, are now ready to break into the professional teams and will have special assessments under game situations.
Mangezi finished the season as the top goal scorer and was attached to Dynamos for three months. Muzadzi is the son of former Dynamos and Warriors goalkeeper Gift “Umbro” Muzadzi. He plays as a striker and is currently at Prince Edward High School.
Speaking from Spain yesterday, the Real Betis Zimbabwe chairman, Gerald Sibanda, said the players are excited about the educational trip that has a mix of training, assessments and exposure to a high level of professionalism. “We had our first training session today where the boys were taken through their paces by the Real Betis coaches. The group trained separately, being assessed individually by the Real Betis coaches.
“Tomorrow (today), we will train in the morning as a group, and then in the evening they will join the Real Betis academy teams where they will be put in different respective age-groups. There will also be a match for further assessment and seeing the ability of our players. So they will play Real Betis tomorrow (today).
“It is quite an exciting time. The training was very intense, very hard and tough with four Real Betis coaches. The boys tonight will tour the stadium, head office, and training ground where the first team players train and might probably bump into first team players at the training facility,” said Sibanda.
The academy is also expected to play more friendly matches later this week.
Real Betis Zimbabwe head coach, Murape Murape, a product of junior football who played for Dynamos from the Under-14s up to the senior team, urged his players to rise to the occasion.
“My role is to make sure that these youngsters, one or two or three of them, make it professionally. This is the right time to break into European football and turn pro. You cannot do that when you have turned 23,” said Murape.
The 2007 Soccer Star of the Year believes the current players are fortunate to have opportunities.
“What we have now are great opportunities. When we played Under-14 football, when we played junior football during our time, we never used to have these kinds of opportunities. But you guys have them. Betis Academy is here to create opportunities for you guys. Betis Academy is here to make sure that you realise your dreams.
“You must not be afraid or respect your teammates as you will be playing mixed with other players from the academy.
“If you play well, one or two of you, you will get signed at the academy at an early age. So let’s make sure we go out there and perform to the best of our abilities with confidence and belief that we can do it.
“We have been working hard, so show them how good you are technically,” Murape told the academy players.
Online Reporter