By Decide Nhendo
Two Masvingo women have made it into the recently launched Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) Federation International Football Association (FIFA) Football for Schools (F4S) project where primary and secondary teachers as well as Mighty Warriors including former local team players were selected from the 10 provinces to train as master trainers.
Masvingo province has three trainers with two women Tendai Chimuriwo from Zaka District, Marvelous Masukume from Chiredzi District and one man from Mwenezi being the master trainers for the province.
The two make it to the prestigious programme in the history of football at a time when the world is commemorating International Women’s Day which is celebrated on March 8 every year and this year’s theme is ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress’.
The two women have shown that females can work for community development as they take part in the male-dominated football field, moving in line with this year’s women’s day campaign theme ‘Inspire Inclusion’.
Speaking to TellZim News, Chimuriwo said the programme was going to help develop local talent as all children with a passion for soccer will be given a chance at an early age to shape their talents.
“I am excited to be part of this wonderful programme that is a long-term goal for Zimbabwean football. It is going to benefit many young children as it is meant to groom and nurture those interested in football. They are going to be taught to focus on the game at an early age from 4-14 years,” said Chimuriwo.
She also said school administrators must help with the project financially and at the same time give children with a passion for soccer moral support so they become football professionals.
The master trainers have been tasked to organize training for their districts so that Football for Schools projects roll out throughout the 10 provinces.
ZIFA through FIFA will support the training and one hundred schools per province will get FIFA-sponsored soccer balls from the expected consignment of 10 720 soccer balls.
Master trainers were trained by FIFA Football for Schools manager Antonio Buenano Sanchez from Spain and FIFA Football for Schools technical manager Alberto Giacomini from Italy.
These trainers had the golden opportunity to meet with former Warriors and Liverpool keeper Bruce ‘Jungleman’ Grobbler, Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Kirsty Coventry as well as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
The project is part of the development of the sport while they target to attract the interest of budding footballers at a tender age while it also plays a part in the fostering of life skills for the young.
The trainer course for the programme has been held for more than 43 coaches from all of the country’s provinces and around 1000 schools are set to benefit from the programme.
