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Taurai Mangwiro

Grace Chingoma Sports Reporter
OUTGOING ZIFA technical director Taurai Mangwiro says although it is disappointing that Zimbabwe will be watching the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations finals in neighbouring Zambia from the sidelines, the future is not bleak when it comes to junior development. The continental youth tournament got underway in Lusaka and Ndola yesterday. Hosts Zambia and South Africa are the only teams from southern region, competing with other six sides — Egypt, Cameroon, Guinea, Mali, Senegal and Sudan.

The tournament will also see all the four semi-finalists qualifying for the 2017 FIFA Under-20 World Cup finals in Korea Republic in May.

But the Young Warriors, who have never qualified for the age-group Nations Cup, are once again missing out.

Zimbabwe were booted out in the qualifiers by Cameroon after losing 2-0 on aggregate in the first round.

In the preliminary round, the Young Warriors had won 2-1 on aggregate against Botswana.

However, Mangwiro, who will leave his post after resigning from ZIFA to join Triangle early this month believes the future is bright.

“It’s disappointing that we will watch from the sidelines but things are looking bright. In the past, we couldn’t compete in some tournaments because of lack of resources but now teams are heavily involved so it is looking good for our football.

“The vision that ZIFA and the Ministry of Sport and Recreation have put together will help the nation.

“We didn’t have proper structures but ZIFA have revived that and a lot of progress is coming up starting with grassroots that is from six to 12 years,” said Mangwiro.

The former CAPS United coach said there is also need for other football stakeholders to meet the association halfway so that they talk the same language.

“The responsible authorities can help ZIFA by standardising, for instance children taught how to play football by qualified personnel, that is what ZIFA is saying but if people start to resist then we will have problems,” said Mangwiro.

Even though the age-group teams’ participation at the continental stage has been elusive, Mangwiro feels that junior development has somehow been successful.

“If you look at three quarters of the teams which was at the AFCON in Gabon they came through junior structures. Part of the players such as Khama Billiat and Knowledge Musona were in the 2008 COSAFA team which played in South Africa.

“We might have not qualified for the Under-20 tournament before as well as now but there is always a time for everything,” he said.

Former Young Warriors coach Jairosi Tapera, who presided over the first three Under-20 qualifying matches last year before his abrupt departure for South Africa ahead of the reverse leg in Yaounde, concurred with Mangwiro.

“Achievements for junior teams as a group have not been really forthcoming but if you look at achievements by junior players as individuals it has been noticeable.

“A number of players have excelled and graduated into the senior team where they are doing well, for example the Warriors team which went to CHAN with (Callisto) Pasuwa the bulk of those were Under-23 players.

“If you look at players such as Tatenda Mukuruva they were once in the junior teams not so long ago.

“So promotion of young boys to the senior team it has been there but when it comes to achievements as a group we are coming short.

“I don’t really know why? Maybe it is the way we prepare for such games that is not adequate and you have seen many times age group teams only camping a few days before a game.