By Sports Editor
Beitbridge- Matabeleland South’s first ZIFA Class A registered soccer academy, Vhembe Stars has penned a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Vhembe High School. In a significant development that is set to amplify the nurturing of footballing talent in border town of Beitbridge.
The historic signing of the MOU comes as a testament of the Loadwell Ziyadumah and Foster Abeki owned academy’s continued commitment to widen and intensify its footprint in the district of Beitbridge in developing football talent.
At the signing ceremony, Vhembe Stars Academy Co-Director for Foster Abeki spoke passionately about using soccer not only as a career path but to bring community cohesion through nurturing a holistic boy and girl.
“The academy seeks to achieve short and long term community building, social health and welfare through sports by providing young people in Beitbridge role models for participation in an organised team sports, encouraging growth in participation in football across the region, providing potential players with a pathway to professional career, he said.
The academy’s partnership with Vhembe is also expected to go a long way in creating employment through developing careers not only in soccer playing but in sport administration, coaching and other downstream sporting careers alike.
Beitbridge Council Town Clerk, Loud Ramakgapola represented by the Communications officer and Vhembe High alumni, Ranel Ndou commended Vhembe Academy and Vhembe High school for working hard to make the MOU a reality.
“Social soccer in Beitbridge has become so prominent than professional soccer and at certain level it has robbed us of our talent, the coming in of Vhembe Academy, will address a lot of those challenges that we have been facing as a community,” said the local authority’s representative.
As part of the agreement signed and sealed yesterday, Vhembe Academy will donate two soccer playing kits every calendar year, assist in pitch maintenance and upgrading, incorporate students from Vhembe High during academy training sessions and provide media coverage for soccer events through Ziyah Media equipment.
On its part the school will allow free passage of the football academy during training and match days inclusive of weekend, accept enrolment of football academy players from other schools especially those identified from rural areas and accept financial assistance from the academy for students brought under the name of the academy.
Vhembe Stars Academy currently boast of a pool of 120 boys and three girls and 3 girls from 13 to 19 age groups across the Beitbridge district.