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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
ZIFA has donated football equipment to three schools in Matabeleland South as part of efforts to improve the quality of football in rural areas.

Zifa in partnership with the Organisation of Rural Associations for Progress (Orap) first held a grassroots coaching clinic for teachers at Longfield Primary School in Esigodini in June and then followed up by donating soccer balls, bibs and cones and other training gear.

More than 50 teachers from different schools in the province attended the six-day training course.

Mcebisi Mpofu from Longfield Primary, Casting Chimedza of Alpha Primary in Filabusi and Caroline Ngulube from Beitbrigde Mission Primary emerged as the top three performers during the course.

Their schools were also selected as satellite centres to receive the football equipment.

Speaking during the handover of equipment at Longfield Primary on Tuesday, Zifa Bulawayo Province board member for development Mkhululi Mthunzi said the schools should make use of the equipment to improve sport in rural areas.

Zifa technical director Wilson Mutekede said the equipment should go a long way in improving sport in remote places.

“We started the project by training teachers the modern day football skills and now the equipment will ensure that what we taught them is put into practice.

“The goal is to offer equal opportunities for a child in a rural area and the one in an urban area. There is a lot of talent here and we want to nurture it,” said Mutekede.

Also present at the handover ceremony were football legend Gibson Homela, Nqabayezwe Nkiwane (Orap) and Tumediso Mokoena Ndlovu, a member of the Zifa technical development committee. The programme will be conducted in all the country’s provinces.

@innocentskizoe