Taruvinga bullish ahead of CAF schools tourney

Sports Reporter

RECENTLY-APPOINTED coach of the Zimbabwe Under-15 boys team Norman Taruvinga is looking to make an impact with his team in the upcoming CAF African Schools Football Championship.

The tournament, which will feature boys and girls’ teams from the region, will be hosted by Zimbabwe at Gateway High School in Harare from December 14-16.

Despite being newcomers to the CAF African Schools Football Championship, the Under-15 boys’ team coach Taruvinga sounded upbeat that his boys will “put up a great performance”.

“I believe in the talent in the squad, especially being our first time in this competition,” said Taruvinga.

“Yes, other countries have played this youth competition before, and have prepared for a longer period, having done their selections as early as May and before, but that should challenge us to put on a great fight.

“The beauty of being a newcomer is that no one knows what you are bringing to the table.

“I’m looking forward to a great performance from the boys and believe they will get all the support they need from their families, friends, communities and the nation as a whole.”

The boys are currently based at Direct Contact School for a 10-day training camp that started last Monday and is set to end next week Tuesday when the coaches will select the final squads consisting of 20 players for the boys’ team and 15 for the girls’ team.

This is in preparation for the schools competition organised by CAF for school going children aged 12-15 years.

The ZIFA Normalisation Committee last week appointed former Dynamos youth coach Taruvinga and Irene Mwanza as the head coaches of the Under-15 boys and girls’ teams.

Taruvinga, a teacher at Prince Edward High School, is a seasoned coach with extensive experience at the youth level.

Mwanza, a teacher at Mosia Tunya High School, Victoria Falls, possesses a deep understanding of the game and a passion for nurturing young talent.

The coaches will take charge of the schools national teams in the 10-team African zonal tournament. The participating teams are Angola, Botswana, Madagascar, Zambia, Eswatini, Malawi, South Africa, Namibia, Seychelles, Angola and Zimbabwe.