Sports / Local
Bosso fans debate Under-19 team disbandment
08 Sep 2013 at 06:50hrs | Views
HIGHLANDERS FC's previous weekend loss to Caps United in a friendly match has re-ignited a debate over a proposal to disband the club's Under-19 team that is playing in Zifa's Bulawayo Province Division Two. The Bulawayo
football giants lost to a largely youthful Caps side that had several youngsters in its ranks who gave Bosso a torrid time at Barbourfields and consequently won 2-0.
The Caps squad included two players who were part of Harare Province's National Youth Games squad at the recently ended games in Bulawayo, Tinovimbo Muskwe and Takudzwa Mahori.
Caps coach, Taurai Mangwiro confirmed he used an experimental side made up of youngsters whom he intends to incorporate later into the first team. While Caps were lauded for including young players who showed they were likely to dominate football in the coming years, Bosso's future looks bleak as their main base is composed of older players.
Highlanders has over the past few years resorted to buying players, some of whom are in the twilight years of their careers, to revive the team's waning fortunes in the league instead of fishing out players from their junior teams.
While last year the move seemed to have paid dividends with Bosso coming close to capturing the title, a poor run of form just before this year's mid-season break has led to a murmur of discontent among Highlanders fans and members.
The case of the disbandment of the Under-19 was made by former vice-chairman Sikhanyiso "Friday" Moyo during the mid-year extra-ordinary annual general meeting in June at the clubhouse. He argued that the side has contributed little to the main team but has become a financial burden to Highlanders to carry.
While there is no questioning that few players have emerged from the developmental side, what some members and supporters are querying is whether the disbandment is the way to go or the structure of the side needs some panel-beating in order for it to be effective.
Some feel this is a wrong approach that is being applied to the junior players because at the moment there is no one overall coach in charge unlike during the days of Ali "Baba'' Dube who mentored several young talented stars to ever don the Bosso kit such as the Ndlovu brothers, Madinda, the late Adam and Peter, the late Benjamin Nkonjera, Methembe Ndlovu, Thulani "Biya'' Ncube, Siza Khoza, Mkhokheli Dube, Honour Gombami, Vusa Nyoni, Gilbert Banda, Obadiah Tarumbwa, current assistant coach Bekithemba Ndlovu, Gift "Thebe'' Lunga, among others.
Through a post on Facebook, Highlanders supporter, Victor November said the mistake the club has been making is appointing novices as juniors' coaches claiming there was a need to appoint someone with proven developmental coaching credentials such as Madinda Ndlovu to head Highlanders' Under-16 project.
"Giving young coaches such as Gift Lunga (Jnr) with no proven coaching acumen such a big task of producing the next Peter Ndlovu is where we are going wrong. Ever since the juniors group that included the likes of Gombami, Nyoni, Banda, Tarumbwa, Hloniphani Ndebele and the late Sifiso Nketa, we seem to be going down. It defeats the whole purpose to have a developmental side whose players never make it into the first team," he said.
Nqaba Donga questioned why youngsters who looked promising last year seem to have been left out in the cold.
"Last year we had young exciting Ozias "Ozizi'' Zibande, Arnold Ndiweni, Lewis Ncube, Status Nsingo, Knox Mutizwa proving to us that given game time and opportunities they can form the future of our team. Ozizi had some great goals and all of a sudden he plays second fiddle," he queried.
Bosso lost the championship to Dynamos last year on goal difference and the only dilemma facing the team was scoring goals. Fortifying the strike force at the beginning of the year was seen as the panacea. Former Railstars player Njabulo Ncube, made a return to Highlanders colours, but his impact has been limited so far, scoring only five goals since the beginning of the season.
Another seasoned player Master Masitara was roped in mid-season but is yet to make an impact, while 21-year-old Gabriel Nyoni seems promising.
Former Highlanders team doctor Xolani Ndlovu said besides lack of funds, at the age of under-19 a player should be competing for a place in the first team and this is the reason the PSL reserved five under-19 player slots for all teams.
"If a player is not good enough to play first team football at 19 then the chances of him making it are next to none. We also have an under-18 team playing in the Zifa Junior League, it's better to direct the team's resources to them (Under-18)," he said.
Tshepo Mabalane disagreed arguing there was a need to cater for late developers.
The Bosso fan was of the opinion that loaning players to other lower division sides could be another solution or going into partnerships with other lower division teams.
Mabalane, however, added that he firmly believed the history and future of Highlanders lay in junior development.
"At the moment there is no sign of leaving a firm foundation with the team having a base of young players as there are no young players making it into the first team and there seems to be little co-ordination between development coaches and first team coaches," he said
In an interview, Moyo insisted there was a need to disband the under-19 side adding that loaning players who graduate from the under-18 team to Division One teams could be a solution.
However, having footballers play together in a team from a tender age can enable them to "read'' each other well on the field and can develop telepathic connection, something that can make them produce results.
Highlanders' executive chairman, Peter Dube said the entire Highlanders family would have a say on the disbandment as the issue didn't lie solely with the executive.
He said the call could have been ignited by the fact that the junior ranks of the club had not provided players for the senior team in recent years.
"People are asking if it is serving its purpose why have there been no junior players supplied to the mainstream team. It is an issue that we have to interrogate. If it is out in the public then we can discuss it and maybe reach a consensus on the way forward.
"If it means keeping the team and improving the system then so be it. We can look at where improvements can be made to ensure there are future benefits for the team," he said.
William Mpasu blamed the rejection of junior players on fans who want quick results.
"We just want our team to win every match whether they are trying out some combinations or players, hence the coming in of so called rejects from other teams to produce those results," he said.
Canada-based juniors coach, Isaac Mbedzi feels there will never be an advantage in disbanding a developmental side as there are no reserves or under-21 league.
"Most of our local players blossom at around 21-24 years of age; hence it would be suicidal to dissipate the team. It's unfortunate that most of our Highlanders players emerge shining at other teams because we would not have been patient with them," he wrote.
Mbedzi questioned whether it was wise to get players from elsewhere over the age of 30 while shunning 19 year olds who were from the team's junior structures.
football giants lost to a largely youthful Caps side that had several youngsters in its ranks who gave Bosso a torrid time at Barbourfields and consequently won 2-0.
The Caps squad included two players who were part of Harare Province's National Youth Games squad at the recently ended games in Bulawayo, Tinovimbo Muskwe and Takudzwa Mahori.
Caps coach, Taurai Mangwiro confirmed he used an experimental side made up of youngsters whom he intends to incorporate later into the first team. While Caps were lauded for including young players who showed they were likely to dominate football in the coming years, Bosso's future looks bleak as their main base is composed of older players.
Highlanders has over the past few years resorted to buying players, some of whom are in the twilight years of their careers, to revive the team's waning fortunes in the league instead of fishing out players from their junior teams.
While last year the move seemed to have paid dividends with Bosso coming close to capturing the title, a poor run of form just before this year's mid-season break has led to a murmur of discontent among Highlanders fans and members.
The case of the disbandment of the Under-19 was made by former vice-chairman Sikhanyiso "Friday" Moyo during the mid-year extra-ordinary annual general meeting in June at the clubhouse. He argued that the side has contributed little to the main team but has become a financial burden to Highlanders to carry.
While there is no questioning that few players have emerged from the developmental side, what some members and supporters are querying is whether the disbandment is the way to go or the structure of the side needs some panel-beating in order for it to be effective.
Some feel this is a wrong approach that is being applied to the junior players because at the moment there is no one overall coach in charge unlike during the days of Ali "Baba'' Dube who mentored several young talented stars to ever don the Bosso kit such as the Ndlovu brothers, Madinda, the late Adam and Peter, the late Benjamin Nkonjera, Methembe Ndlovu, Thulani "Biya'' Ncube, Siza Khoza, Mkhokheli Dube, Honour Gombami, Vusa Nyoni, Gilbert Banda, Obadiah Tarumbwa, current assistant coach Bekithemba Ndlovu, Gift "Thebe'' Lunga, among others.
Through a post on Facebook, Highlanders supporter, Victor November said the mistake the club has been making is appointing novices as juniors' coaches claiming there was a need to appoint someone with proven developmental coaching credentials such as Madinda Ndlovu to head Highlanders' Under-16 project.
"Giving young coaches such as Gift Lunga (Jnr) with no proven coaching acumen such a big task of producing the next Peter Ndlovu is where we are going wrong. Ever since the juniors group that included the likes of Gombami, Nyoni, Banda, Tarumbwa, Hloniphani Ndebele and the late Sifiso Nketa, we seem to be going down. It defeats the whole purpose to have a developmental side whose players never make it into the first team," he said.
Nqaba Donga questioned why youngsters who looked promising last year seem to have been left out in the cold.
"Last year we had young exciting Ozias "Ozizi'' Zibande, Arnold Ndiweni, Lewis Ncube, Status Nsingo, Knox Mutizwa proving to us that given game time and opportunities they can form the future of our team. Ozizi had some great goals and all of a sudden he plays second fiddle," he queried.
Bosso lost the championship to Dynamos last year on goal difference and the only dilemma facing the team was scoring goals. Fortifying the strike force at the beginning of the year was seen as the panacea. Former Railstars player Njabulo Ncube, made a return to Highlanders colours, but his impact has been limited so far, scoring only five goals since the beginning of the season.
Another seasoned player Master Masitara was roped in mid-season but is yet to make an impact, while 21-year-old Gabriel Nyoni seems promising.
Former Highlanders team doctor Xolani Ndlovu said besides lack of funds, at the age of under-19 a player should be competing for a place in the first team and this is the reason the PSL reserved five under-19 player slots for all teams.
"If a player is not good enough to play first team football at 19 then the chances of him making it are next to none. We also have an under-18 team playing in the Zifa Junior League, it's better to direct the team's resources to them (Under-18)," he said.
Tshepo Mabalane disagreed arguing there was a need to cater for late developers.
The Bosso fan was of the opinion that loaning players to other lower division sides could be another solution or going into partnerships with other lower division teams.
Mabalane, however, added that he firmly believed the history and future of Highlanders lay in junior development.
"At the moment there is no sign of leaving a firm foundation with the team having a base of young players as there are no young players making it into the first team and there seems to be little co-ordination between development coaches and first team coaches," he said
In an interview, Moyo insisted there was a need to disband the under-19 side adding that loaning players who graduate from the under-18 team to Division One teams could be a solution.
However, having footballers play together in a team from a tender age can enable them to "read'' each other well on the field and can develop telepathic connection, something that can make them produce results.
Highlanders' executive chairman, Peter Dube said the entire Highlanders family would have a say on the disbandment as the issue didn't lie solely with the executive.
He said the call could have been ignited by the fact that the junior ranks of the club had not provided players for the senior team in recent years.
"People are asking if it is serving its purpose why have there been no junior players supplied to the mainstream team. It is an issue that we have to interrogate. If it is out in the public then we can discuss it and maybe reach a consensus on the way forward.
"If it means keeping the team and improving the system then so be it. We can look at where improvements can be made to ensure there are future benefits for the team," he said.
William Mpasu blamed the rejection of junior players on fans who want quick results.
"We just want our team to win every match whether they are trying out some combinations or players, hence the coming in of so called rejects from other teams to produce those results," he said.
Canada-based juniors coach, Isaac Mbedzi feels there will never be an advantage in disbanding a developmental side as there are no reserves or under-21 league.
"Most of our local players blossom at around 21-24 years of age; hence it would be suicidal to dissipate the team. It's unfortunate that most of our Highlanders players emerge shining at other teams because we would not have been patient with them," he wrote.
Mbedzi questioned whether it was wise to get players from elsewhere over the age of 30 while shunning 19 year olds who were from the team's junior structures.
Source - sundaymail
