adminTadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
THREE months after they were made to part with $150 each to take part in hyped football trials that had international scouts in attendance, players are fast losing faith in the whole process after organisers shifted goal posts.
Over 450 players, between the ages 13 to 25, drawn from both amateur and professional clubs, turned up for this event, dubbed “World’s biggest scouting event” at Prince Edward School in October last year.
It was supposed to be a breakthrough opportunity for 15 of them whom the conveners had promised to pick.
The same event, with a similar thrust was scheduled to take place in six other African countries including South Africa, Senegal, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as Nigeria.
General co-ordinator of the trials who claimed to be acting for Dynamic African Stars Academy, Moo Muhammed Mustapha, a Nigerian based in Russia had confirmed prior to the event that there was a ready market for the players who were going to impress selectors.
“Several teams in Spain, Russia, Portugal, Greece and many others countries have expressed interest in taking on board Zimbabwean players. So, the tournament at the weekend, is a huge opportunity for both professional and amateur players to come and showcase their talent.
“As organisers of this event, we would like to thank the Zimbabwe Football Association, the Sports and Recreation Commission, as well as the Premier Soccer League, for giving us the leeway to conduct this event here,” he said ahead of the two-day mini-tournament.
In fact, the Nigerian, who was accompanied by a Portuguese scout, Miguel Angelo Ferreira Almeida, said an unnamed club in Greece was waiting, ready to sign at least two Zimbabwean players identified straight from the trials.
But the whole process seemed to have so many flaws after the arrangers, including local representatives Dickson Choto and Charles Manjera, suddenly decided to pick eight players instead of the 15 they had promised.
In any case, the eight selected players are still clueless on where they are headed after they were deemed to have passed those trials.
“We have seven or eight players (from Zimbabwe) who passed the trials and most of them are on-loan players. Normally we hold those trials for free, working with the Local Organising Committees in other countries but in the case of Zimbabwe, there was no sponsorship from any organisation or individual.
“So it was difficulty on our part and we had to charge a little amount of money,” said Mustafa.
“We are travelling with about 30 players, including eight from Zimbabwe for a trial tournament in Azerbaijan, Turkey and Armenia.
“In Nigeria, there are various individuals who are sponsoring players for their flight to the trial event for they know the value of youth empowerment . . . ”
Interestingly, the Azerbaijan trial tournament is scheduled for mid-January and it is increasingly unlikely that all the Zimbabwean players will make the trip after they were asked to look for their own funding.
Online Reporter