Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze, [email protected]
ZIMBABWE Under-15 girls and boys are now introspecting and ready to build on positives drawn from the CAF African Schools tournament that is underway in Harare.
The future Warriors and Mighty Warriors dropped out of the race following lukewarm performances in the group stages before shifting focus to placement games at Gateway yesterday.
Under the guidance of Irene Mwanza, the girls’ side lost 1-2 to Tanzania, with evergreen Winnie Mapuwa on target again for Zimbabwe, while the boys fell 0-2 to Zambia to end their journey in the tournament.
With three goals to her name, Mapuwa falls one short of current top scorer Phidha Muzuwa of Zambia.
In the boys’ category, Moses Maremudze leads the locals with two goals, while Uganda’s Owen Mukisa is the tournament’s top scorer after finding the net four times.
Mwanza said despite Zimbabwe’s early exit from the tournament, there are plenty of positives to draw from their outing.
“We are looking at player development holistically and as a developmental coach, I strongly feel that we have a lot of talent and potential in Zimbabwe,” she said.
“The performance by our teams speaks volumes, especially considering the limited preparation time, but I am happy that the Zimbabwe Football Association are resuscitating grassroots football.
“From here, we have a solid base to build from as we shape future Warriors and Mighty Warriors, so what we need is to create a proper environment to nurture all this talent.”
Mwanza called for continuity, saying the longer these players stay together, the stronger the teams will become as they graduate through the ranks.
Mapuwa, captain Anotidaishe Zvinoira and Praise Neshiri already have more than four caps for the junior national team.
Mwanza believes that with enough exposure, the trio can form the spine of future senior teams.
“Continuity is key in our short- and long-term development plan for the national teams, so we have to find ways to keep the players together,” she added.
“From here, there needs to be systems to monitor our players, track their progress and guide them through proper developmental stages.
“Scouting for more talent must also continue, so with more local tournaments, junior leagues and increased football in schools, I can confidently say we are heading in the right direction.”
The Caf African Schools Football Championship semi-finals will be played this afternoon at Ngoni Stadium in Norton.
Action kicks off at 10am, with Morocco facing Burkina Faso and Zambia clashing with Ghana at 10:40am in the girls’ category.
In the boys’ semi-finals, Uganda face Benin at 1:30PM, while Morocco play Senegal at 3PM.
Bongani Ndlovu