Mwaruwari hunts for Zimbabwe's next football star

FORMER Warriors captain Benjani Mwaruwari has said the hunt for the country's next big football star should start from the grassroots with focus not limited to the urban areas only.

He was speaking at the Mberengwa West Constituency MP Sports Gala at Mpesi Business Centre yesterday where he was the guest of honour.

The sports gala is the brainchild of MP for the area. Joram Gumbo, who is also the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development.

"The time to give the country the next big player is now. I'm actually here to search for the next Peter Ndlovu, the next Norman Mapeza, the Moses Chunga the next George Shaya. They will come from here,'' said Benjani.

"So I think this is my special moment to get those kind of players. You know there are some kids who don't have that opportunity, like what we have here, so what I'm looking at is to come and see and give them opportunities as you know that I have got my academy in Bulawayo and recently we just launched another one at Prince Edward.

"I'm actually very glad that I'm here and we're looking for players we can give opportunities like those accorded to the ones in the urban areas.

"You know when we talk about football they just want to see Musona (Knowledge) when he is now great but we should look at the root. Let's look at how we can identify that talent when it's still raw so that we can have a good plan and we give them that opportunity to shine.

"I have seen a lot of talent here.''

Benjani added that his Academy and the recently-launched 2063 Football Academy at Prince Edward were meant to identify talent from the previously neglected areas.