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Takudzwa Chitsiga Sports Reporter
ZIFA technical director Wilson Mutekede has revealed that the association will from this year regulate the operations of football academies that have mushroomed across the country.
In the absence of a sound junior development policy from ZIFA, a number of youth football institutions have cropped up across the country’s 10 provinces.
Mutekede, however, wants ZIFA as the mother body to play their role and ensure that academies are registered with the association and in conformity with their set standards.
The man in charge of national football development was making the remarks after touring Legends Football Academy in Harare, which is among a few that have already been formally certified by ZIFA.
Mutekede lauded Legends as a model football academy which those aspiring to set up youth development institutions could emulate.
“When we talk of an academy that is likely going to meet the expected standards, expected levels for them to be able to earn a title of an academy, we are looking at an infrastructure like the one at Legends.
“I have discovered there are two pitches one for the Under-9s, one for the Under-11s, the pitches are distinctly marked, well maintained, proper goal sizes.
“I have also come through and seen that for Under-13s there’s also a field that is specifically meant for them where they are playing the correct version of the game in terms of numbers of players that are going to play and when we get to Under- 15, 17 and 19s there’s also a specific field that is there.
“And also the other issue, which is very, very critical is we have always insisted that the coach player ratio should be the right one. We have always said that we need a minimum of two coaches per age group and this is what I have also noted here,” Mutekede said.
Mutekede said in certifying an academy they would also assess the coach, player ration and whether the qualified personnel have been placed to handle the varying age groups.
“We have said, we need a specialist or an expert coach which is a goalkeepers’ coach and strength and conditioning coach.
“It is what I have seen here. I have also seen that at Legends there are two guys that are qualified in terms of sports medicine biomechanics and when we look at that and injury-managed return to play we have an institution that is equipped and this is basically what we are talking about to say for us to be able to grant that status of academy over and above the field if play we need to have the structure”.
Mutekede said many aspiring academies did not pay much attention to the state of their infrastructure and appeared to be in some competition for young boys and girls, whom he said “are actually in abundance around the country”.
“Of course there are other extras (infrastructure) that some cannot afford but here there’s a place for TV, a place where players can rest and have refreshments under any weather conditions, whether it’s raining or there’s sun there is a proper shed.
“There’s also a room for peer education, a hall where kids can be brought players’ mentoring, coming together and getting to learn more and more.
“So this is what we are looking at when we say we want an academy that has the minimum requirements that we expect and I think this is what we will be observing.
“I have been invited to a number of academies of course and I’m saying academies in quotes they are trying to do it but here it’s the correct model that we want others to follow,” Mutekede said.
He added that he would also try to take some prospective academy owners to the established institutions for them to appreciate the standards ZIFA will be expecting of them.
“I will probably need to convene all other aspiring academy owners to come here and have a look at what we expect.
“It might not get to this level but this is the way that we are saying everyone should go and everyone should be pursuing and say these are the minimum standards that we are looking at in terms of the academy structure”.
Online Reporter