Zimpapers Logo

Tobias Mandoreba in Hwange
The Hwange community will have a rare but perfect opportunity to get exposed to Five-A-Side football when 16 teams battle it out at the bowling club this morning for a charitable cause.

According to Scotch Mwamimbe of the Rotaract Club of Hwange, who are coordinating the event, the tourney is meant to fundraise for the Lupote Nine Orphans Shelter project.

The organisers are also aiming at ensuring the popularity of the sport.

“Hwange will have a unique sporting spectacle at the bowling club which is the venue for this Five-A-Side tournament. We are expecting a total of 16 teams to take part. We are all doing this as a community to fundraise towards the construction of a shelter in Lupote in Lupane.

“Besides this corporate social gesture, we have realised that this type of football is still unknown in this part of the country so we urge the community to come in numbers to participate and watch because who knows we might end up with a league in the area,” said  Mwamimbe.

Through the sale of raffle tickets, organisers are hoping to raise at least $5 000.

Some of the teams that have confirmed participation at the competition include Stanbic Bank, Leos Hwange, Lions Hwange, St James Anglican, Technosphere, ZPC Graduate Trainees Select and Hwange Graduate Trainees Select.

Weekly Mwale, the Matabeleland North Futsal and Beach Football instructor said the sport is gaining popularity in the region following coaching clinics that they have held to equip the trainers.

“Five-A-Side football is growing into a reality as we advertised the sport some few months back. The positive response from a six-day course held at Lwendulu Primary School  a few weeks back which was targeting teachers was part of our initiatives to spread the sport in the province. We will continue with our awareness initiatives,” said Mwale.

Five-A-Side football, also known as futsal, is played on a smaller field and mainly indoors. Each side fields five players and are allowed seven substitutes who can come in at any time without communicating with the three referees.

The game is played with a smaller ball that has less bounce than a regular football due to surface of the field. This surface, ball and rules create an emphasis creativity, technique and improvisation as well as passing and ball control in a small space. — @tobymandox