“Our football is no longer as entertaining as what we used to dish out and this has largely been because there has been very little attention given to junior football development. That is what the academy is out to try and address,” said Mudyambanje, the former Bosso star who has also had a stint with Ziscosteel as a coach.
“Yester-year players used to fill stadiums because fans got what they wanted in terms of entertaining soccer, which was an exhibition of skill and goals. That is what we lack today, but not all is lost because we still have some good young players that are just being ignored.
“After I retired, I had initially decided to be on the sidelines for some time, but I think the time has come for me to bring something back. I think I have a lot to do in terms of developing the game and at the beginning of this month, I formed Delta Platinum in partnership with Robert Tredgold Primary School.”
The academy will develop players from as early as six years of age to 16 years.
“I’m shocked to see that Bulawayo no longer produces as many talented players as it used to during our days, when we dominated the national team from junior to senior level. What we see today is a disgrace and that is reflected on the failure of our national teams.
“If you go back to history, you will see that the country no longer has the likes of Benjamin Nkonjera, Adam Ndlovu, Peter Ndlovu, Agent Sawu, Thabani Moyo and Wayne Albertyn, who were all produced in this city,” said Mudyambanje. He plans that his academy will be the feeder team for local PSL clubs, but should a sponsor bring international partnerships, the ultimate target would be exporting players to top European clubs, where Zimbabwe has not been well-represented since Benjani Mwaruwari returned to South Africa last season.
“The youngsters we have are just superb. They have the skill and are hungry for success,” he added.
Post published in: Football