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Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter

WARRIORS forward Tino Kadewere’s meteoric rise from a mere bench-warmer at local Premiership football side Harare City to a key member of the French Ligue 1 giants Lyon has sparked a massive stampede for Zimbabwean youngsters.

That Kadewere rose through systematic development structures before one of Africa’s acclaimed academies, Cayor Foot (then Diambers), swooped on him has made scouts believe in Zimbabwe’s young talent.

Kadewere was barely 20 when Diambers chief scout Eric Bafana decided to send him to Swedish side Djurgardens IF as an urgent replacement for one of their products whose stay at that club had been cut by an injury.

The Zimbabwean didn’t disappoint and has grown so imposing in both mental and physical stamina that he is one of the biggest stories to be told in French football in the just-ended year.

Now headquartered in Senegal, Cayor  Foot, who have conveyed top talent from this continent to Europe have already identified two other young players from this country —  Sean Mzinde and Luckmore Mutumbi — who could join the bandwagon to Europe if they impress in the next six months.

The players join former Prince Edward Academy Brendon Nyagurungo who is already in the books of Cayor Foot having joined last year.

The duo, together with Nyagurungo, are expected to leave the country for Senegal next week. Bafana confirmed that Mzinde and Mutumbi will be joining Cayor Foot Academy next week.

“I am glad to confirm that two other youngsters — Sean Mzinde and Luckmore Mutumbi — have become the latest youngsters to join Cayor Foot Academy,” he said.

“If anything, it is Tino Kadewere’s form at Lyon that has been one of the major contributors to us looking more in the Zimbabwean market.

“We believe in their talent and we will look for more from this side.

“If we look at Tino Kadewere, who grew in a good football environment, we can only say Zimbabwe has got talent which we can tap on.

“Last year we had Nyagurungo (Brendon) but barely two months at the academy, Covid-19 hit us and he was forced to return home when he had as just starting to gel with his teammates.

“Had it not been for the pandemic, well, he would have been in Europe as we speak since he was scheduled to spend just six months in Senegal.

“Unfortunately, Nyagurungo will have to go for yet another six months period in Senegal before he can be given a chance in Europe.”

Bafana said the pair of Mzinde and Mutumbi are also expected to spend six months in Senegal before they can be given a chance to try their luck in Europe.

Mzinde, like Nyagurungo, is from PE Academy while Mutumbi is from Gutu High.

Mutumbi was picked during the Proton-Surrey Nash finals played at Marondera High in September 2019.

He has been in South Africa for the past six months where he has been training in preparation for his stay in Senegal.

“The pair of Mzinde and Mutumbi, like Nyagurungo, will spend six months, at most before they are given the chance to try their luck in European teams.

“I know their capabilities and believe me, they are the future of Zimbabwean football,” Bafana said.

Besides Cayor Foot Academy, several youngsters are being hunted by renowned nurseries across the continent.

Cayor Foot Academy recruits talented youngsters from across Africa and they mould them into complete products before exporting them to Europe.

Mostly, their products find home in Belgium, Sweden and France where they have built a good rapport with clubs there.

Nyagurungo is praying that the new wave of Covid-19 will spare him and his compatriots, this time around.