United States-based Zimbabwean football enthusiast, Innocent Hadebe, has urged local football administrators to take school football seriously and make every attempt to take part in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Schools Competition.
Hadebe said the lifting of the country’s suspension by FIFA provides local football administrators with an opportunity to develop football at the grassroots level.
The Source reported that Hadebe and Premier Soccer League chief executive officer, Kenny Ndebele on Wednesday handed over football equipment sourced from Puma in the United States to schools in Bulawayo.
The Puma merchandise, worth over US$6 600, was donated to Imbizo Primary School and Matshayiskhova Primary School both in Luveve, Bulawayo.
Speaking on the sidelines of a handover of the football equipment, Hadebe said there was a need to invest in grassroots football. He said:
I am excited that Zimbabwe’s suspension from the world football family was recently lifted and this presents a lot of opportunities ahead for young players.
It is important that we hone emerging talent and fund grassroots football allowing youngsters to flourish.
The CAF Schools competition presents yet the most important platform as it will give us the impetus to develop the game on a wider scale forward at the grassroots level and the prize money CAF gives out is also a huge incentive and can make a big difference for the winning school.
I implore the football leadership that will come in to ensure that the country fields junior national teams in all regional, continental and world junior football competitions as it guarantees our young players adopt and adapt to a competitive spirit at that level at an early age.
Merchandise distributed to the two schools includes balls, agility ladders, cones, backpacks, caps, socks, vests, tot bags and men purses among other items.
Source PindulaNEWS
