Chidzambwa challenges scouts

By Tadious Manyepo

Warriors coach Sunday “Mhofu” Chidzambwa says the country was losing a substantial number in potential football stars due to lack of exposure and has taken it upon himself to move around the country scouting for talent.

Chidzambwa was the guest of honour at a football tournament organised by Tendai Munengwa at Kandeya Primary School in Mt Darwin over the Easter holidays. And the trailblazing gaffer was impressed by what he saw.

“I was in Chinhoyi recently for a soccer tournament where I was also invited as the guest of honour. I was very impressed by what I saw there.

“But, what I have realised that as a country we could be losing a lot of good players who lose interest in the game because they would have lacked exposure.

“I have identified quite a number of players at this tournament whom I am going to recommend to Premiership and Lower Division clubs.

‘‘Some of them are even good enough to play at the highest level if they start working with good coaches. Just some small touch-ups on their techniques will do the magic.

“But the tragedy is that a lot of players, like these, are being lost as they would have lacked exposure, especially those in the country’s rural areas.

“As the national team coach, I have taken it upon myself to move across the country and scout for players whom I will then recommend to Lower Division and Premiership teams,” he said.

Chidzambwa said in countries like Brazil, scouts move around the country and give equal opportunities to players in both rural and urban areas.

“We need a paradigm shift in terms of how we do our sport. We have been failing to achieve most of our targets as a country because we have become so much blinded as we assume that talented players can only be found in the urban areas.

‘‘We have been getting it wrong. In countries where football is very successful, scouts move around the country. In Zimbabwe, we always say we lack proper resources to develop football but I beg to differ.

‘‘Just imagine the number of good players our scouts will identify if they attend different tournaments in both rural and urban centres,’’ he said.

Chidzambwa believes now is the time for the country to unlock some of those vaults of talent.
“I know it has always been talk and no action. I think now is the time for scouts to move around and tap the talent in the rural areas.

‘‘We have a good number of players who went on to do well at the highest level after coming from rural areas.
“Unfortunately, those players could just be a drop in the ocean as a lot would have not been able to find their way up the ladder due to lack of knowledge and exposure.

‘‘Sadly, some of them would resort to drug abuse, that is what we have to end. I am calling upon coaches and scouts to look beyond urban areas if we harbour any realistic hopes of carrying our country forward.’’ The Herald