Zifa to hold Under-17 national team trials in Bulawayo

ZIFA Bulawayo Province is excited about the prospect of hosting the national Under-17 boys’ trials from tomorrow up to Sunday.

The provincial office was busy yesterday afternoon trying to get a venue for the national trials.

“Naturally, when such an event comes to Bulawayo, we are happy, quite excited honestly. We have a team capable of organising such an event and making sure it runs smoothly.

“We have excelled in that in the past, and this time around is no different. We want to ensure all goes well, the exercise is done smoothly, and the best are selected.

“It is a plus for us in that we are not having to travel. Previously we have had to gather resources for trials in Harare. We are prepared and hopeful that a decent number of our players will impress,” said Bulawayo Zifa boss Francis Ntutha whose province was once the cornerstone of all age-group teams.

Ntutha said White City may not be available on Saturday and they are trying to find an alternative either for the trials or the Division One teams that were supposed to play at the facility.

According to Zifa, the event will bring together top talent from regional teams across Zimbabwe, along with foreign-based invitees.

“Zifa is pleased to announce that the selection trials for the Under-17 boys national team, who will represent Zimbabwe in the upcoming Cosafa.

This event will bring together top talent from regional teams across Zimbabwe, along with a selection of foreign-based invitees, for final trials and the official selection process.

We are excited to witness the skill and potential of our young athletes as they compete for the honour of representing Zimbabwe on an international stage.

“We look forward to a successful selection and to supporting our young players as they embark on this journey,” read a statement from Zifa.

The selected players will represent Zimbabwe in the Cosafa Afcon qualifiers.

This is part of Zimbabwe’s preparations for the Caf Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2025 Cosafa Qualifying tournament in December, hosted by Mozambique.

Zimbabwe are in group B alongside Zambia, Namibia and Eswatini.

Mozambique were drawn with Angola, Malawi and Lesotho in Group A.

Group C has South Africa, Botswana, Comoros and Mauritius.

Once again, only the top team in each pool advances to the semifinals along with the best-placed runner-up.

Over 150 players participated in the Bulawayo province Under-17 trials last month. Notable coaches, including Mkhokheli Dube, Siza Khoza, and Philani Mabhena, attended the trials, praising the talent on display.

The Cosafa Under-17 Championship has been played under several guises in the past, including as part of the AUSC Region 5 Games, though the tournament was organised by Cosafa.

South Africa (1994, 2002, 2020) and defending champions Zambia (2017, 2019, 2022) lead the way with three wins each, while Angola (2018, 2021), Malawi (2001), Zimbabwe (2007) and Namibia (2016) have one win each.

South Africa have been runners-up on five occasions too, meaning they have been in the final of eight of the 11 previous tournaments played, a record.

Three finals have been decided by penalties, when Zimbabwe beat South Africa in 2007, when Namibia defeated the same opposition in 2016 and when South Africa edged Zambia in 2020.

Many players who have gone on to be senior national team players have come through the tournament in the past,
Delron Buckley (South Africa), Robert Ng’ambi (Malawi) and Patson Daka (Zambia) are just a few who would go on to make names for themselves.
-@innocentskizoe