Online Reporter
Tendai Chara-Zimpapers Sports Hub
LOCAL football coaches are relying on experienced players at the expense of emerging talent because club owners and supporters demand immediate results, veteran coach Paul “Popopo” Chimalizeni has said.
Chimalizeni, who has guided three Division One teams into the Premier Soccer League, said coaches had little room to develop young players when their jobs depended on results.
“As coaches, we are often given targets that force us to use tried-and-tested players,” he said.
“Club owners demand immediate results, forcing coaches to choose experience over youth.
“They say a good hunter always moves around with his most experienced and trusted dogs. If you want to survive as a coach, you must know this concept.”
Several veterans remain influential in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.
CAPS United goalkeeper Washington Arubi is 40, Triangle midfielder Thabani Kamusoko is 38, while TelOne’s Silas Songani and ZPC Kariba’s Moses “Short Time” Demera are both 37.
Scottland stars Knowledge Musona and Khama Billiat, both 36, also remain among the league’s leading players.
Cranborne Bullets team manager Frank Kazembe said older players should not be dropped because of their age, but deserving youngsters must also be given opportunities.
“The best player for the job should start, regardless of age,” Kazembe said.
“If an older player is still effective, it is logical to keep him. Competent young players must not be sidelined simply because of age.”
He said many coaches were reluctant to persist with youngsters after they made mistakes in senior matches.
“Most clubs do not leave any room for blunders,” he said. “If a young player is introduced and panics, most coaches will end up side-lining the player.”
Kazembe urged coaches to introduce young players gradually, initially giving them short appearances from the substitutes’ bench before increasing their playing time.
“If a young player impresses during training, that player might first be introduced as a substitute with 15 minutes remaining,” he said.
“In the next match, the player can be introduced earlier, with 30 minutes remaining.”
CAPS United supporter Fungai Murapa said fans also contributed to the pressure on coaches.
“As supporters, we want points, not potential and promises,” Murapa said. “Coaches do not have the luxury of experimenting with rookies.”
Patrick Marere, owner of Northern Region Soccer League side Marere FC, said financially constrained clubs were reluctant to carry young players who were unlikely to feature regularly.
“Clubs are running on tight budgets,” Marere said.
“Keeping young players on the bench is expensive. They must be paid, yet they will not be given enough time to play. For this reason, clubs often prefer experienced players over rookies.”
Kazembe called for the establishment of a competitive junior league to give young players regular game time and prepare them for senior football.
“We must have a vibrant youth league in which young players gain valuable experience through playing, as opposed to observing,” he said.
“We must take a leaf from the South African junior leagues, which are highly competitive and provide youngsters with an ideal environment.”
