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Sports Reporter

St John’s Prep school dominated the Harare Province team at the ATS 2024 Under 13 inter-provincial soccer tournament held at the Midlands Christian College in Gweru over the weekend.

The team lifted the coveted trophy while two of its outstanding players were selected by a leading Spanish football academy for a stint in Barcelona.

St Johns Prep’s football dominance was confirmed at the end of the weekend tournament when seven players were also picked for the ATS Zimbabwe Select U13 team that will represent Zimbabwe in Dubai later this year.

Mufudzi Mandiwanzira, Ndadiwa Pepukai, Zak Adam, Gift Minenji, Kuziva Hwingwiri, Ian Jere, and Seth Mujuru were selected to represent Zimbabwe in the ATS Zimbabwe Select U-13 Dubai Tour this year.

The two who won the hearts of Spanish scouts from the Nastic Sports Academy (NSA) are Mandiwanzira and Pepukai who were ecstatic after the announcement.

Mark Mushayademo, the St John’s Prep assistant soccer coach, said he was pleased with the performance of the boys who represented Harare and praised his team.

He said it was huge that his players were selected for the Dubai and Spain trips.

“Just looking at the talent we have in the schools in comparison to what we have seen in our leagues, I am thinking those people who scout for talent for our leagues should also visit these boys at an early stage so that they can see what we have as a nation at the grassroots level, at primary school level let alone at college levels.

“There is a need for people to be exposed to schools just to see what is happening and as a suggestion, to allow soccer to run throughout the year so that there is continuity and identification of talent throughout the year — not just the second term.  That brings soccer to the levels it is supposed to be compared to other nations.”

He added: “On our (St John’s) boys, I think we have for the past few years been doing very well, attaining high standards and producing very talented students and this year we have had eight of boys from our first team selected to represent Harare Schools in Gweru and they did very well.

“They were shining throughout the tournament and from that selection seven will go to Dubai and out of the seven, two will go to Spain and that is a big achievement.”

Scores of parents from throughout the country attended the inter-provincial tournament in Gweru.

“If you look at the background of schools like St John’s Prep, football was never a priority. Rugby, cricket, and other sports used to dominate. The school, especially the coaches, have done a great job of taking football to the level of being the most successful and dominant sport at St John’s Prep. You look at how the team has won in almost all tournaments in Harare.

“There is no better evidence to prove the success of the St John’s Prep football initiative than having two of your top players picked by scouts from a leading academy in Spain, make the bulk of the Harare province Under 13 team, and dominate the schools national Under 13 team to Dubai, it’s remarkable,” said one of the St John’s Prep parents at the Gweru tournament.