Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube, Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa), which has been busy courting diaspora players to commit to the Warriors, has been slammed for mishandling the selection of the national Under-17 team ahead of the Cosafa qualifiers starting in Harare this weekend.
Players were summoned to Harare for trials at the last minute, leaving those from distant towns and rural areas unable to attend. Critics argue this deprived the team of the best possible talent and exposed deep cracks in the country’s junior football structures.
Former Warriors captain Benjani Mwaruwari, himself a product of the Bulawayo Junior Soccer League, was among the first to voice concern. He pointed to the absence of players from traditional nurseries such as Black Rhinos, Caps United, Dynamos, Highlanders and Hwange.
“Without proper development structures, chaos will prevail,” said Mwaruwari. “In a proper setup, there is no need for trials.
Transparent processes would ensure the best talent, regardless of financial position, is selected. The present situation favours academies, not talent.”
He added that it was unthinkable for giants like Caps, Dynamos, Highlanders and Rhinos to fail to produce a single player for the national side, while newer projects like FC Platinum and Ngezi were also struggling to break through.
Mwaruwari recalled how Bulawayo once had a thriving junior league where community competitions consistently unearthed the best players.
“The talent that came out was no accident. It was a meticulous process. You didn’t just walk into a team. You earned it and coaches knew when you were ready.”
Those sentiments were echoed by Adomsi Mukasi of the national supporters’ association, who argued that club and school development pathways remain the most reliable feeders for national teams.
“National team activity is about merit,” said Mukasi. “What kind of Under-17 national team is it without any player from the reigning champions, Zezani? When schools like Churchill, Hippo Valley, Mzilikazi, and Sobukhazi dominated, their players filled junior national teams. Now it’s only those who can afford academies.”
Mukasi accused Zifa of neglecting grassroots football in favour of overseas recruitment drives. “Instead of going to Europe to beg players to play for Zimbabwe, Zifa should build structures here.
“Those in Europe see us as their last option.”
Grassroots advocate Tumediso Mukwena went further, calling the current academy driven approach “daylight robbery.” He said provincial leagues remain the backbone of Zimbabwean football and only need financial and logistical support.
“We have had working systems that produced lasting stars. What we call academies here don’t even meet basic standards,” Mukwena said.
Zifa Southern Region chairman Lloyd Munhanga, himself a graduate of Bulawayo’s junior league, accused the association of deliberately sidelining proven structures. He cited the 1980s system that produced stars such as Peter and Madinda Ndlovu, Agent Sawu, Ronald and Ariel Sibanda and Willard Khumalo.
“Some people influence coaching appointments just to prop up their academy players,” said Munhanga. “What about the fake birth certificates? Why are structures like those in the Southern Region being ignored?”
Junior leagues remain active in Bulawayo, Hwange, Dete and Victoria Falls, but coaches and administrators feel they are being overlooked.
Veteran development coach Dumaza Dube was blunt. “We are in dire straits. Everything in football is tainted, from the selection of youth coaches to the pay-upfront approach for players.
These academies don’t have the resources or standards to produce genuine national talent.”
Dube accused academies of pushing players of questionable quality while school champions such as Zezani lack the money to showcase their talent. “Our football has become a refuge for people who have failed elsewhere,” he said.
As the Cosafa Under-17 tournament kicks off in Harare, the debate around selection has left Zifa under heavy scrutiny, with critics insisting the real work lies not in Europe but in rebuilding the grassroots structures that once made Zimbabwe a junior football powerhouse.
