adminthis weekend.
The two-day tournament is set for Saturday and Sunday and over 30 countries are expected to take part in the Six-A-Side competition, which will see mixed teams of Under-17 boys and girls competing.
Zimbabwe were invited for the inaugural World Cup after Kutting Edge Sports Consultancy successfully hosted “Celebrate the Children Sports Festival” last year which caters for children from children’s homes.
The team made up of eight players — five boys and three girls — had their first training session yesterday morning at Emerald Hill Children’s Home and School for the deaf under the guidance of Prosper Kwenda, who is the secretary for development at the Zimbabwe Soccer Coaches Association.
The team is expected to leave for Poland tomorrow night accompanied by their coach, a representative from the Ministry of Labour and Social Services, and two representatives from Kutting Edge Sports Consultancy.
The trip, though, hangs in the balance as the organisers still haven’t raised enough funds to secure tickets for everyone.
Kutting Edge Sports Consultancy managing consultant, Maimba Mapuranga, said the players were selected by their homes and they are working on combinations and the basics of football.
Mapuranga said they could not select the players on merit since they only got the invitation early this year and they had to leave the task to the homes that participated at their festival last year.
“They got into camp yesterday and they are working on ball familiarisation. We had a festival last year and we had nine homes, from those homes we asked them to choose one player.
“The biggest task for the coach is to try and gel the players together to form a team that will play some of form of football.
“We noticed that some of the homes chose the children based on that they do sport and not necessarily football,” said Mapuranga.
However, Mapuranga said the trip was hanging in balance as they are yet to secure tickets for the team.
“We are leaving on Thursday, we have seven tickets for the whole delegation. We are appealing to the corporate world for donations because we have five tickets still remaining and it’s US$1 200 each.
“We are also saying the corporate world and national sporting associations can donate the tracksuits or anything, we don’t have a kit,” said Mapuranga.
Team: Tatenda Chimunhu, Dudzai Chimusasa, Blessing Chimusasa, Blessing Muparu, Dennis Chitototo, Desmond Gwaku, Rumbidzai Sigauke, Kudakwashe Makope, Theresa Tigere.
Online Reporter