Rugwevera hits the ground running

Fungai Muderere, Senior Sports Reporter

WITHOUT doubt, the name James Rugwevera has continued to grow in leaps and bounds in Zimbabwe’s football development football circles!

Rugwevera, a Mpopoma High School Maths teacher, was recently appointed National Association School Head (Nash) Under-15 girls team head coach after a national meeting in Goromonzi.

Following his appointment, Rugwevera, who leads the Mpopoma Sports Academy (Mposa), has hit the ground running after his Nash Zimbabwe girls team beat a select side made up of ATS girls and Somvubu High in the final match of the Caf African Schools Football Championship that were played at Petra College on Friday and yesterday.

“It’s still game on, but I’m glad about the work we have done with the girls so far. We have a lot of talented girls, and I think they are slowly becoming national team material. I can single out Cynthia Khumalo of Mpopoma High, she is just something else,” said Rugwevera.

Khumalo was yesterday named Player of the Tournament and joint Top Goal Scorer together with Winie Mapuwa of Herentals College.

On his selection to be head coach of Nash girls Under-15 team coach, the veteran teacher, whose soft spot for sport is undoubted said: “I actually appreciate that. It shows the work I have been doing but not as an individual but as Mpopoma High School. I’m grateful for that because it is now paying big.”

Caf African Schools Football Championship – a first in world football has firmly established itself as the leading youth football competition in Africa, thanks to the visionary leadership of Caf president, Patrice Motsepe who continues to champion and manifest his vision of making African football globally competitive and self-sustaining.

This highly anticipated event had 16 teams with the School Associations providing two teams per gender, a national select team and the winners of the 2024 national championships.

As in previous editions, the Caf African Schools Football Championship is being conducted in three phases namely, National Phase (hosted by Member Associations), Zonal Phase (hosted by Caf’s Zonal Unions) as well as the Continental Phase that is hosted by Caf in partnership with the selected Zonal Union and Member Association. — @FungaiMuderere