adminCollin Matiza Sports Editor
WITH just less than two months to go before the 2016 Homeless World Cup kicks-off, Zimbabwe have named their eight-member team that will participate in Glasgow, Scotland, in July where they are once again looking at leaving a mark.
The Homeless World Cup is an annual football tournament organised by the Homeless World Cup organisation, a social organisation which advocates the end of homelessness through “the sport of association” — football.
The organisation puts together an annual football tournament where teams of homeless people from each country compete and the 14th edition of the Homeless World Cup is scheduled to take place from August 10-16 in Scotland.
This year’s Homeless World Cup tournament will see 64 teams from across the globe, representing 52 countries, including Zimbabwe, competing in both the men’s and women’s sections which are expected to attract 512 players who will arrive in Glasgow “each with their own story to tell, their own point on a journey to create a better life for themselves”.
Highlights of the tournament will undoubtedly be the Opening Ceremony on July 10 and the finals on July 16. The entire week will be action-packed, with Glasgow’s George Square converted into an outdoor street football venue hosting 412 matches throughout the week.
And the Homeless World Cup’s national partner in Zimbabwe, Young Achievement Sports for Development (YASD), yesterday announced the squad that will be representing the country at this year’s tournament in Glasgow.
The eight-member team is made up of seven young men and one young woman who will be under the guidance of coaches Farayi Mweta and Ranganayi Kuseka.
YASD programmes co-ordinator, Petros Chatiza, says that while competing at the Homeless World Cup is the highlight of the year for most of the players, the week-long tournament is only one of the programmes among others that focus on mentoring young people and providing them with opportunities to improve their lives.
“To us it is not about sending a team abroad, but about providing rehabilitation. Getting acknowledgement as country representatives gives the players the motivation to go back to their community and fight for a better life,” Chatiza yesterday told the official website of the 2016 Homeless World Cup.
Zimbabwe are currently sitting at 29th in the overall rankings of the Homeless World Cup after last year’s performance in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where they finished in 15th place, just above the 2016 host nation — Scotland.
And following a strong performance last year, Team Zimbabwe is now ready for this year’s Homeless World Cup.
Chatiza said they are now in the process of applying for the team’s visas to the UK after a well-wisher, who asked not to be named, pledged to pay for the entire squad’s visas as well as four air tickets for four members of the travelling party.
This year’s Team Zimbabwe will be travelling to Scotland at the beginning of July to join 63 other squads to compete at the Homeless World Cup in Glasgow’s George Square.
The Homeless World Cup football tournament has its own special rules.
The fast-paced games are four-a-side and played in two halves of seven minutes each, with a one-minute break for half-time.
Women’s and men’s teams compete for separate cups, however, women can compete in the men’s team and thus the decision of Team Zimbabwe to include one female player in their squad for this year’s tournament — Evelyn Karasa.
Each team consists of up to eight players, four of which — three field players and a goalkeeper — are on the court at a time. Players can only participate in the Homeless World Cup once, and so team performance can vary greatly from year to year. Consistency from year to year is, therefore, more important than final position in a single tournament.
Two-time winners Brazil lead the men’s rankings, followed by last year’s champions Mexico. On the women’s side, the three-time champs Mexico hold their top seed again this year.
Team Zim for 2016 Homeless World Cup
Evelyn Karasa, Blessing Mugove Makimira, Tafadzwa Keith Mhizha, Morris Chawanda, Matthew Mukundwa, Grayson Petros, Russell Maumbe, Maradzike Harare.
Coaches: Farayi Mweta, Ranganayi Joseph Kuseka.
Online Reporter