By Onward Gangata
FORMER warriors captain Benjani Mwaruwari has challenged local coaches to give opportunities to young players in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.
This comes in the wake of a dwindling number of young players playing at the highest level in the country.
The sad development paints a gloomy picture about the future of Zimbabwean football.
A look at the best eleven players chosen by a panel of journalists, coaches and captains of the teams in the league shows that there is no teenager.
Towering Simba Bhora defender, Isheanesu Mauchi is the youngest player on the soccer star of the year finalists at the age of 22.
To make it worse only four players under the age of 20 were eligible for the Most promising player award during yesterday’s poll.
According to the Premier Soccer League regulations, a player has to make at least 10 appearances to be considered for the award.
Only Mafios Chiweta of Scottland, Triangle forward Witness Shave and Kwekwe United defender Lennox Chibi met the threshold.
Despite making 17 appearances this season, 17 year old TelOne midfielder, Calvin Chigara was inexplicably not considered for the award.
“Going forward, coaches need to be brave, if a youngster is good he is good, let them play and develop,”he told The Echo Sports.
What Benjani said:
“Most coaches in our league are scared to bring young players into the fold, for them, It’s all about results and protecting their jobs.
“I was fired at Ngezi when I introduced about eight young players, I wanted the best out of the players but that cost me my job.
“So coaches are scared to play youngsters because mostly young players need time to get it right.”
The former Manchester City striker bemoaned the sad state of football in the country particularly the junior football structures.
“It’s all about structures, I have always emphasized on development, if we do not have proper structures we can’t see the player and the league improving.
“We need to get that part first and then talk about having quality in our league, otherwise we keep going in circles,” he added.
