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Eddie Chikamhi

Senior Sports Reporter

VETERAN junior football development administrator, Zivanai “ZIFA” Chiyangwa, has challenged ZIFA to go back to the basics if football is to achieve meaningful development.

Chiyangwa, a strong believer in junior football development over the last three decades, told the Herald that Zimbabwe made a huge mistake by neglecting grassroots football and disbanding the Zimbabwe Junior League because of boardroom clashes.

“I think the biggest mistake we made as Zimbabwe was to neglect grassroots football and also to disband the ZIFA Junior League just because we had failed to agree on the funding of junior national age-group teams,” said Chiyangwa.

“We felt the exposure was important for our young players and asked for a share of the FIFA development grant to be channeled towards that cause.

“Of course, it wasn’t much but it was better if it was used in that direction than to be channeled elsewhere.

“However, this did not go down well with the people in leadership at the time, so the Zimbabwe Junior Football League was disbanded and removed from the board along with Sports Medicine and the Referees Committee.

“But, today everyone agrees that grassroots development is an area that we have not been able to tap into fully over the years.

“The talent is there but we are always producing unpolished talents.

“I am sorry to say this but I think our top-flight league these days is full of half-baked talents and that is why our domestic football standards have dropped and people are no longer interested in watching local football.

“The players lack the very basics. If we do not go back to the basics, we should not expect a miracle. There are no shortcuts in football,” said Chiyangwa.

ZIFA, to their credit, used to provide playing and training equipment in the past and the corporate world also played a part.

“The solution for junior football development is funding. The players and coaches need equipment and infrastructure.

“In the past the Local Councils used to take a big part in this regard.

“They provided council grounds to play on and refreshments were supplied at the community centres.

‘’The youngsters were motivated by that and at one community centre you could find more than three competing clubs from the same area.

“We worked with several players from a young age. Before this system was stopped, in Glen View we managed to get players like Samson Choruwa, Rowan Nenzou, Kelvin Mushangazhike, Eddie and Munyaradzi Mashiri.

“Then in Highfield there were talented youngsters like Hebert Zimbeva, David Sengu, Prosper Kadewere, Prince Kadewere, Tendai Mwarura, Ashley Rambanepasi, Tapuwa Kapini and many more.

“I will not talk of Mabvuku where we had Usman Misi, Joe Mugabe or Chitungwiza where we also saw the likes of Shingi Kawondera, Musareka Jenitala and Muzondiwa Gonese.

“From the clubs, it was easy to identify players who would make the district teams and then the provincial sides. “In Bulawayo, the same was happening and we are very grateful to the efforts of the late Aaron Munautsi because we managed to see the likes of Agent Sawu, Benjamin Nkonjera and others from a young age.’’

ZIFA this year announced grand plans to revive junior football countrywide but the initiative crumbled under the weight of the coronavirus lockdown.