NORWAY based Frank Nematombo who hosted a football tournament this past weekend in his home area of Taisekwa, Harare South, wants to build a Youth Centre of Excellence to cater for the underprivileged members of his community.
The football tournament he hosted which will morphe into an annual event will provide an opportunity for young people in his rural home to showcase their talent and potentially earn scholarships or professional contracts.
It is however the recreation centre he plans to build that has got the community excited because of the drug menace that has ravaged the country.
The centre will provide a safe space for young people to engage in sports, learn some life skills and provide other recreational activities, keeping them busy and away from drugs.
Nematombo is a product of the famous Darryn T Football Club which has produced many great players like Norman Mapeza, Gift Muzadzi, Shingi Kawondera and Alois Bunjira, among a whole host of stars.
The 39-year-old who plays for Måløy U₩ Foootball Club in Norway is now using his contacts in North Europe to bring people together and creating positive change in his community.
“We hosted a very successful tournament, thanks to my partners in Norway who donated playing kit and football boots for over 200 kids,” Nematombo told EnterSportNews.
“Football has given me a way out poverty and through this just ended tournament, I am extending my hand to vulnerable children from my home area so that they can excel using their God given talent.”
Nematombo’s dream is to build a Centre of Excellence in Harare South that will not only offer great facilities for the development of young players but equip them with life skills that will help them navigate through life.
“Drugs have ravaged a number of young children throughout Zimbabwe, that’s why I want to build a Centre of Excellence that concentrates on both football and life skills. We can’t afford to lose our children to the drug scourge.
Nematombo is already looking forward to the second edition of the tournament next year and wants to bring in some football experts to grace the tournament.
“As we start the ground work for the Centre of Excellence that I want to build with the help of our partners, next year we will be bringing in some big names from Norway to come and speak to the young players on football and life issues,” he said.
Shingi Kawondera another former Darryn T player was at this year’s tournament and identified two outstanding young footballers who we were offered football scholarships.
“Kawondera is like a big brother to me from our Chitungwiza and Darryn T days, he came to support this project and speak to the boys about his football journey,” added Nematombo.
“He is the one who identified the two boys and looking at what he has achieved in football, those boys are in good hands.”
