Willard Katsande inspires  colleagues Willard Katsande

Caroline Magenga Sports Reporter
Kaizer Chiefs stars Kingstone Nkatha and Ovidy Karuru have applauded teammate Willard Katsande on the success of this year’s edition of the Under-18 soccer tournament that was held in Mutare over the weekend.

The duo who were part of the guest list that featured former Dynamos coach Callisto Pasuwa, Washington Pakamisa, Women’s League executive Cecilia Gambe, Kuziwa Nyabeza and former DeMbare and Orlando Pirates forward Takesure Chinyama.

The annual tourney, now in its third year, was sponsored to the tune of R70 000 by the Kaizer Chiefs and national team midfielder. Karuru said the initiative by Katsande had inspired him to adopt the concept in his home province in Masvingo to help give upcoming players the platform to showcase their talents.

“I think what he is doing here is very good and it will go a long way in developing the junior structures in our country which is an area that is often taken for granted.

“What we witnessed this weekend has been a lot of raw talent and a lot of competition. Generally, the games were very well organised so we had an enjoyable weekend here at Sakubva.

“He has really challenged us and inspired us to follow the same path and give back something to the community while at the same time developing the sport in the country

“I am definitely going to look into the prospect of holding the same type of project in my home town (Masvingo) because we need to invest in our nation’s soccer side and give back to the community that stood by us to the point we have reached so far,” said Karuru.

The tournament was won by Penhalonga-based side Redwing who beat Mutare Stars 6-0 in the final.

En route to victory the champions played against Chipinge and crushed them 2-0 in the semi-finals. Mutare Stars had stormed into the final after beating crowd favourites La Sakubva 5-0.

Redwing walked away with US$800, a kit, medals and trophy while Mutare Stars pocketed US$400 and a kit.

Event organiser Panganai Mbaradza said the tournament was a success and commended all the teams that took part for their discipline and captivating performances.

“It went better than we had planned and save for four teams that were disqualified after they failed to produce the relevant documents, everything went smoothly.

“The boys were very passionate and they gave a good performance throughout the tourney, and we are of course also happy that there was no reports of violence or foul play,” Mbaradza said.

 

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