Zimbabwe football has a bright future!

Lovemore Dube

SINCE 2002 Zenzo Ndlovu, a former aspiring star at Highlanders FC has been packing his bags from Mobile City in the United States of America with match balls and uniforms to donate back home.

He sees a future in children and believes the ball and uniforms are the foundation they need at elementary level. Ndlovu loves to assist the unheralded men and women without proper funding but have a burning desire to churn out stars with the little he can help with.

“There is so much talent out there. The kids want a chance to play football recreationally and also dream of being stars. Out there there are many, one too many to mention who wake up every morning with the dream of grooming the next big player in Zimbabwe. They lack the extra push from community, just an extra ball for the kids or a uniform, or even an opportunity to get words of encouragement that they are doing a good job,” said Ndlovu.

So when Ndlovu comes home it’s an outreach programme for his US-based project Soccer4Life.

“We want to be game changers and transform the lives of kids. The coaches have to believe in what they are doing and have a mindset that teaches children positive lifestyles,” said Ndlovu whose project is a mini Christian Sports Ministry.

Every time he comes home, apart from donating to almost a dozen clubs, Ndlovu makes time to engage the coaches and share ideas about grooming children to be the future of the game. He also takes time to run training camps for children from the age of six up to 18 just like he does in the US. Ndlovu is a firm believer of that a player must be able to turn professional just before he or she turns 18.

“I enjoy working with the local coaches. They are a fantastic lot bound by one desire of carving a future for the next generation of football stars. The skills levels of the children are very good and the workshops I organise for the coaches have good attendance and the guys are attentive, they ask questions and participate very well,” said Ndlovu.

On Tuesday he was at Lozikeyi Primary School in Nguboyenja which he attended in the 1980s sharing with children and coaches.

“It is my former school, I am giving back to it, I am who I am because of where I come from. So every holiday of mine I have Lozikeyi and Nguboyenja in my programme,” said Ndlovu whose programme has an outreach presence in Tsholotsho, Filabusi, Mvutshwa and greater Bulawayo.

Among some of the football personalities he works with is former Highlanders, FC Platinum and Young Warriors striker Mkhokheli Dube, another former Young Warriors star Noel Cele, Chamu Mangwiro Maphosa, Highlanders scoring sensation of the 1980s Tobias Mudyambanje, Netsai Moyo and unsung junior development coach Clement Chimimba. Ndlovu believes when children have equipment, it grows their belief.

“Kids want to participate, they feel they have a belonging and want to be part of. But when they do not have balls and uniforms the inferiority complex sets in and they want to stay away,” said Ndlovu whose project has 350 regular kids in the City of Mobile in the United States of America.

He has over a dozen coaches he works with and is happy that some of the stars have gone on scholarships with universities and colleges. One of his players is on the radar of Dundee United of Scotland.

“His name is Retsin Kambabala from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is a star for the future and Dundee have had a look at him and he is gaining game time back in the US. I have the duo of Marcus Hawkins and Tyler Long who are with I2i School of Soccer in Newcastle in the United Kingdom.

“We work mainly with kids from refugee communities from around the world. We have players whose parents come from Burundi, DRC, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Syria, Pakistan and Jordan. Since 2002 we are happy that some of the kids are now graduates and working which is the positive social impact we want to have as Soccer4Life,” said the University of Mobile graduate in Business Administration and Computer Information Systems.

Ndlovu vows to make football more accessible to more through mobilising resources to give back home. He has built a camping home for sports stars in KwaMhlanga in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

“It is cheaper accommodation with training facilities that I would love Zimbabwe teams to access on tours or pre-season camp. It takes up to 35 players. It is also open to individual players who would like to train under our coaches and then attend trials ready for specific teams. The training is designed to suit the playing philosophy of the team a youngster is going to,” Ndlovu.

Ndlovu welcomed Zimbabwe’s return to the international fold and hopes to see more players break into professional leagues abroad.