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Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
CAF instructor and former ZIFA technical director Nelson Matongorere says the Northern Region Division One School of Excellency training camp proved that there is vast women’s football talent in the country.
The two-week training camp ended on Thursday.
Matongorere and former Mighty Warriors coach Rosemary Mugadza led the technical team that has Sammy Mavenyengwa, Desmond Mhene, Maclyen Moyo and Langton Giwa. The coaches were working with selected Under-17 and Under-20 girls at Queen Elizabeth High School.
“It was a very successful training camp. There is talent, just imagine we had 50 girls in camp and it is just Northern Region, what if it was all the regions?
“We are in the right direction. We need to continue with periodical training camps during the weekends or holidays. That is the concept we want to easily field Under-17 and Under-20 teams,” Matongorere said. The veteran coach says their major aim is to have age-group teams that will feed into the national teams once international football returns.
“The idea is to have a wide pool of junior players so that when international football returns, the national team coaches can easily have players to field for the Under-17, Under-20 and the senior team, the Mighty Warriors.
“I can confidently say that we now have a team that can compete competitively.
“We just hope the other regions take the concept so that we would be able to come up with good players across the country and able to produce formidable teams for the women’s national teams,” said Matongorere.
The CAPS United technical advisor added that the camp was full of value as the budding athletes were also taken through other sessions apart from training.
“The main objective was training but we also had career guidance and life skills sessions. The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee had a doping session whilst the Referees Committee also had a good presentation on the Laws of the Game.
”Some corporate companies gave them motivational speeches. It was good to utilise the expertise of these people and learning took place.
“It was a well programmed and co-ordinated camp. The team was staying at Girls High and training at Queen Elizabeth High School which is just a walking distance to training so time and effort weren’t wasted. We are confident that the girls returned home with something. We will also have feedback from the parents,” said Matongorere. The Northern Region executive chaired by Peter Gonyora has managed to attract sponsorship for the ambitious project after they roped in Ministers Sithembiso Nyoni and Paul Mavima as their co-patrons.
The two Ministers have put their hands on the deck, dedicated their time and managed to secure sponsorship and funding for the region.
Some companies such as the National Building Society, Blue Ribbon Foods, NSSSA, Moonlight Funeral Services and Mimosa Mining Company have come on board to support the girl child.
Matongorere hailed the support which he believes will change the women’s football landscape in this country.
“This camp was a game-changer. We have got to give credit to the sponsors. They made it easy for the players. The players were provided with good meals per day and everything was catered for. If other sponsors can do that even to men’s junior teams we will be in the right direction in terms of development.
“We would like to thank the Headmistress of Girls High School Dr. Beauty Mutsambiwa for providing us with the facilities. I am also quite happy with the role the Northern Region executive led by Mr Gonyora (Peter) is playing. They are doing a good job with the girl child,” said Matongorere.
Matongorere has re-ignited his involvement with women’s football having been active with the Mighty Warriors during the time of German coach Klaus Pagels.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter