Sports / Soccer
Chase the Chelsea dream at Gifford High School
18 May 2018 at 07:02hrs | Views
VETERAN football coach, Cosmas "Tsano" Zulu, has challenged both male and female football players between the ages of 18 and 25 who are not attached to any professional league to throng Bulawayo's Gifford High School where the first search for a player who will make it into Shield-Chelsea Africa XI squad will be held on Saturday.
The campaign is a result of a partnership between Shield, a Unilever brand and English champions Chelsea Football Club who were once home to Africa's celebrated footballer Didier Drogba.
The team is a partner for Shield to launch this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to find Zimbabwe's best aspiring soccer star and give them a chance to train like a champion.
In conducting the search, Zulu will work hand in glove with ex-Warriors gaffer Callisto Pasuwa, former national team player Alois Bunjira and ex-Dynamos midfielder Naison Muchekela who will be in the city to identify 15 aspiring footballers for the programme.
"We know the country has many players with a huge passion for soccer and this competition gives them the chance to demonstrate their passion and ability. Chelsea works hard to improve the lives of young people and we look forward to this partnership. As such, we are calling upon players that are not attached to any professional league to come to Gifford High and showcase what they have. They should bring a Shield product and we will use the bar code on the product to register them. The two-hour registration process will start at 7am and end at 9am," said Zulu.
Players identified from the Bulawayo search will join 15 other footballers from Harare.
The Harare search will be held on 2 June at Alexandra Sports Club. Thereafter there will be a week-long boot camp which will be held in the capital on 28 to 30 July in Harare under the guidance of the local coaches awaiting the arrival of their Chelsea counterparts to choose the winning player.
Chelsea Football Club is considered one of the most successful soccer clubs.
Unilever managing director, Hilary Muzondiwa said: "We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Chelsea Football Club. Soccer is the most loved sport in Zimbabwe and is a key passion point for our consumers. The new partnership will aim to inspire young Zimbabweans who understands that achieving success requires hard work, practice, and absolute dedication — both on and off the field. Winning requires that you get up and get moving."
The campaign is a result of a partnership between Shield, a Unilever brand and English champions Chelsea Football Club who were once home to Africa's celebrated footballer Didier Drogba.
The team is a partner for Shield to launch this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to find Zimbabwe's best aspiring soccer star and give them a chance to train like a champion.
In conducting the search, Zulu will work hand in glove with ex-Warriors gaffer Callisto Pasuwa, former national team player Alois Bunjira and ex-Dynamos midfielder Naison Muchekela who will be in the city to identify 15 aspiring footballers for the programme.
"We know the country has many players with a huge passion for soccer and this competition gives them the chance to demonstrate their passion and ability. Chelsea works hard to improve the lives of young people and we look forward to this partnership. As such, we are calling upon players that are not attached to any professional league to come to Gifford High and showcase what they have. They should bring a Shield product and we will use the bar code on the product to register them. The two-hour registration process will start at 7am and end at 9am," said Zulu.
Players identified from the Bulawayo search will join 15 other footballers from Harare.
The Harare search will be held on 2 June at Alexandra Sports Club. Thereafter there will be a week-long boot camp which will be held in the capital on 28 to 30 July in Harare under the guidance of the local coaches awaiting the arrival of their Chelsea counterparts to choose the winning player.
Chelsea Football Club is considered one of the most successful soccer clubs.
Unilever managing director, Hilary Muzondiwa said: "We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Chelsea Football Club. Soccer is the most loved sport in Zimbabwe and is a key passion point for our consumers. The new partnership will aim to inspire young Zimbabweans who understands that achieving success requires hard work, practice, and absolute dedication — both on and off the field. Winning requires that you get up and get moving."
Source - bmetro
