Zimpapers Logo

Rashiwe Murisa Sports Reporter
FOUR BN Academy football players are scheduled to leave the country on Wednesday for trials with VfB Lubeck in Germany under the GeBe Foundation.

The quartet expressed their excitement as they have been presented with a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity to grow their careers.

The four players are Ellson Mweha (18), Tyrone Matongorere (17), Mathew Chukwuma (17) and Nigel Mutsonziwa (16). The quartet  will be in the company of Tatenda Nyoni from the academy’s technical department. The trials will run from January 9 to 17.

The boys could not hide their joy during an interview with The Herald at the weekend.

Nyoni said the players will likely impress and change their lives.

“We are very excited with the trip, it’s a good opportunity for the academy and for the country because we are nurturing soccer from an early stage and it is an opportunity to represent Zimbabwe as a soccer-loving country.”

The academy will use this opportunity as a yardstick to see how far they have gone with grooming local talent.

“For the academy it will be time to see where we are lagging behind and what need to do to improve with regards to playing techniques, among other things,” added Nyoni.

For Mutsonziwa and Mweha it is not their first time to be in Europe for trials as the duo was in UK in August last year for Football CV soccer camps.

“It is always humbling  to have such an opportunity (of going overseas for trials). We learnt a lot and improved  immensely after our stay in the UK and we hope one day we can play in one of the world’s top leagues, we are grateful to the academy for what it is doing for us young players,” the youngsters said.

Their trip to Germany is being facilitated by GeBe Foundation whose main objective is to enhance, empower and assist youth in order to add value to their lives. BN Academy director Bekhimpilo Nyoni believes that the boys will have good exposure in Europe learning from the best coaches.

“The boys are some of my most talented players and the idea is to have one or two players making a breakthrough in professional football overseas. So I believe they have got the quality in terms of technique and tactical awareness.” The four Zimbabwean players are likely to be joined in Germany by two other young stars from South Africa who have also been invited for trials in the European country by the GeBe Foundation.

The Two South African players were identified by Zimbabwe youth international Butler Masango who is now running an academy in Johannesburg.

Masango is now into a partnership with the GeBe Foundation, a non-profit organisation from Germany who partners with other organisations to support education, sport, culture and social development in disadvantaged communities.