Online Reporter
Langton Nyakwenda
Zimpapers Sports Hub
EVERY afternoon during her pregnancy, Rutendo Mafemera found herself stopping to watch children play football in her Stoneridge neighbourhood in Harare.
She would pause whatever she was doing, stand on the touchline and watch until the games ended.
The urge became so persistent she began to wonder if it was simply another pregnancy craving.
“I would be walking in our neighbourhood of Stoneridge and I would see children playing football,” she recalls.
“Most of the time I would stop and just watch them play the game. I would even leave everything just to watch them play.
“I even wondered if it was because I was pregnant.”
The feeling refused to go away.
Instead of watching from the sidelines, Mafemera bought footballs, gathered a handful of children and offered to coach them.
Soon afterwards she invested in kits and training equipment.
What began as an impulse has grown into FNF Young Stars Academy, a community football project changing lives in Harare South.
Today, Mafemera is a Level One coach, whose academy recently won the Chitungwiza Junior Football Development League Under-15 tournament at Chibuku.
Emmanuel Mafurauzi of FNF Young Stars was named the tournament’s outstanding player.
“I am very excited about this latest achievement,” said Mafemera.
“You know, being a woman doing well in a male-dominated field.”
For Mafemera, trophies have never been the real measure of success.
“If a child is into football, he or she doesn’t have time for drugs,” she said.
Training takes place every weekday after school, from 4pm to around 5.30pm. Saturdays are for matches and Sundays are reserved for church.
“After every game we teach the children about the dangers of drugs,” said Mafemera.
That mission has also encouraged other women to become part of the project. Four women now occupy different roles within the academy.
“I invited other ladies,” said Mafemera.
“When they came to watch what we were doing, they realised how important football is in the fight against drugs.”
Her love for the game started long before the academy.
Growing up in rural Nyanga, she never missed an opportunity to watch a match.
After getting married, the game remained close to her heart through her husband, Kizito Mafemera, who played football in their rural community and often spoke about the opportunities he never had.
“I grew up liking football,” said Mafemera.
“Even when I was in primary school, I would always watch football.
“When I got married, my husband also played football in our rural area and would tell me about his experiences.
“Maybe he could have gone far with football. It’s only that he grew up in a marginalised area.
“His predicament also spurred me.”
As the number of children grew, Mafemera approached her cousin, former Premier Soccer League player Frank Nematombo, who now lives in Norway.
Together they established the Frank Nematombo Foundation (FNF) Young Stars Academy in Stoneridge.
“She was always with kids. She was always coaching them and, during one of my trips back home, I discovered her passion and we started doing it together,” said Nematombo.
“We started working together three years ago.
“Her husband is the team manager. I get support from my club in Norway, Molde FK.
“They support us with football equipment and other stuff. The idea is to groom talent from modest areas like Stoneridge and also keep these kids away from drugs.”
The academy is already producing results.
One of its brightest prospects, Makanaka Siziba, now plays for FC Platinum and has earned selection into Zimbabwe’s Under-15 national team.
For Mafemera, that is proof that children from communities often overlooked can still dream beyond the streets where they first kick a ball.
“I feel coaching is in me,” she said. “It’s not just passion; it’s a gift from God.”
She completed her Level One coaching course in 2024, but believes she is only getting started.
“My wish is to improve my level,” she said.
“I want to attain a CAF A coaching badge, but I have to do it gradually.
“Resources permitting, I want to enrol for the next CAF D course and then continue until I reach CAF A.
“With my talent, I believe I can reach higher levels.”
Every afternoon, children still stream onto the training ground in Stoneridge.
They arrive carrying boots and dreams.
Mafemera is usually there before them, laying out cones and footballs.
The pregnancy cravings disappeared long ago, but the reason she keeps coming back remains.
