AIR FORCE of Zimbabwe Commander Air Marshal John Nzvede, who was the guest of honour, was so impressed by the talent at the inaugural LM Auctioneers Zaka Girls Under-21 Soccer Festival on Saturday that he found himself thinking like a scout.
Watching the girls compete, Nzvede saw an opportunity for Chapungu Queens, the Air Force’s team in the Zimbabwe Women’s Premier Soccer League, to identify players capable of progressing to the top level.
“I wish to confess that as I was watching the matches and the levels of talent on display, I was tempted to wear the hat of a talent scout,” he said.
Commander Nzvede, who travelled with Chapungu Queens chief executive officer Group Captain Madzivanzira, said he had challenged the club to look closely at the players.
“To the girls who have participated in this festival, I wish to inform you that the Air Force of Zimbabwe has a competitive team where you can consider advancing your football careers,” he said.
“I have challenged him to work with his team to use this platform to also identify potential players for the team.”
For the girls, the prospect of being noticed by a top-flight club offered a glimpse of where their football could take them. For Nzvede, it also reinforced why initiatives that bring opportunities to young women in rural communities deserve support.
“I feel highly privileged to be part of this inaugural Zaka Girls Under-21 Soccer Festival. When I received the invitation from Dr Muzhara, I did not hesitate to accept and support this noble initiative, because it is a platform to empower the girl child,” he said.
Eight teams took part in the tournament, a turnout Nzvede welcomed as evidence that girls in the district were embracing opportunities to develop their sporting talent.
He urged them to take football seriously, pointing out that sport could now offer a viable career rather than remain a recreational pursuit.
“Soccer and other sporting activities are no longer just recreational activities, but they are now careers,” he said.
Nzvede linked this shift to the Government’s Heritage-Based Education 5.0 model and commended the festival organisers and local leadership for giving girls a platform to showcase their abilities.
He also stressed that sporting ambition should go hand in hand with education. The Air Force, he said, offers women opportunities in a range of fields, including flying and aircraft engineering.
“In addition to providing opportunities for women to develop careers in soccer, the Air Force of Zimbabwe offers equal opportunities in all the trades in the organisation,” he said.
“I therefore challenge young girls here today to work hard to excel in their academic studies so that they may consider pursuing careers in trades such as flying, aircraft engineering, among others.”
His message was that the girls should not limit their ambitions to the football field. With the right education and opportunities, they could pursue careers in sport or other areas of the Air Force.
Nzvede also encouraged both girls and boys to consider joining the organisation, which conducts recruitment outreaches in all provinces.
Festival organiser and LM Auctioneers founder Lewis Muzhara said taking the competition to Zaka was a deliberate effort to find talent in communities that often receive less attention.
“The idea is to go to areas that are so much marginalised and to look for talent. You can see the effort that these girls are putting in, you can see that they are all focused, they all want to win this trophy and the medals that are there,” Muzhara said.
He welcomed the presence of coaches and representatives from clubs, saying their involvement could help build a pathway from school football through the Under-15, Under-17 and Under-21 age groups to the national team.
Former footballers also travelled from Harare and Bulawayo to support the event, while clubs including Chapungu Queens showed interest in the emerging players.
Maningi Youth Soccer Academy won the inaugural festival after beating St Joseph High School 1-0 in the final. Rudhanda finished third.
The Air Marshal’s call for Chapungu Queens to identify potential recruits gave the festival a practical next step. The challenge now is to turn the talent on display in Zaka into opportunities for the girls to develop and progress in the game.
