Sports / Local
Matabeleland soccer greats selfish - Mhlophe
21 Mar 2012 at 08:30hrs | Views
Mgcini Mhlophe, former Highlanders, Amazulu and Hwange striker, has lambasted fellow soccer greats from Matabeleland over their failure to develop soccer in the region.
Mhlophe said the rot in the game in Matabeleland was a result of a selfish approach to development by its former greats.
Despite having produced a number of top-name players who played in European leagues, Matabeleland only has Rahman Gumbo and Methembe Ndlovu as former players who have managed to send the current generation to overseas teams.
Mhlophe said former greats and business people in the region should join hands to send players to foreign leagues, but accused most of them of being too ignorant, greedy and selfish to do that.
"People complain that the national team is represented by mainly players from Harare, but how many players from Bulawayo do we have playing outside the country, where they should gain experience? We have produced highly-talented players like Johaness, Zephania and Joel Ngodzo, Ronald Sibanda, Siza Khoza and Gilbert Banda in Bulawayo, but they have found no-one willing to represent them until some saw their careers going to waste," said Mhlophe, who quit the game early due to the economic problems in Zimbabwe.
"We need proper investment of time and money into the game in the region for it to develop. Former players who have played outside the country can do better as player agents."
This comes after Benjani Mwariwari, ranked the highest paid Zimbabwean sportsman, just teamed up with a private school in Bulawayo to construct a modern football academy to be named Benjani Mwaruwari Academy.
Mhlophe said the rot in the game in Matabeleland was a result of a selfish approach to development by its former greats.
Despite having produced a number of top-name players who played in European leagues, Matabeleland only has Rahman Gumbo and Methembe Ndlovu as former players who have managed to send the current generation to overseas teams.
Mhlophe said former greats and business people in the region should join hands to send players to foreign leagues, but accused most of them of being too ignorant, greedy and selfish to do that.
"People complain that the national team is represented by mainly players from Harare, but how many players from Bulawayo do we have playing outside the country, where they should gain experience? We have produced highly-talented players like Johaness, Zephania and Joel Ngodzo, Ronald Sibanda, Siza Khoza and Gilbert Banda in Bulawayo, but they have found no-one willing to represent them until some saw their careers going to waste," said Mhlophe, who quit the game early due to the economic problems in Zimbabwe.
"We need proper investment of time and money into the game in the region for it to develop. Former players who have played outside the country can do better as player agents."
This comes after Benjani Mwariwari, ranked the highest paid Zimbabwean sportsman, just teamed up with a private school in Bulawayo to construct a modern football academy to be named Benjani Mwaruwari Academy.
Source - zimbabwe
