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Fungai Muderere and Nkosilathi Sibanda

GIVE it a go younger as you are youthful,agile and full of promise!

This sums up how Castle Lager Premiership side Chicken Inn would describe their squad as they prepare for the new season.

At first, it was Awakhiwe Tshalibe (14) as exclusively revealed by ‘Zimpapers Sports’ and now it’s Craig Ndlovu (18), a boy identified from Matabeleland North.

Ndlovu has signed a three year contract with Chicken Inn, a team that he longed to play for since childhood, his father Kenny Ndlovu said.

Craig is a former Hwange Government High School pupil and his roping in by Gamecocks comes weeks after the club revealed they had registered 14 year old Mpopoma High School pupil Tshalibe with their first team.

“Craig is from Hwange and he is an upcoming player that we think will do well for us. We think we are moving in the right direction in introducing youngsters in our team. These are the boys that we will seek to develop to be better players,” said Chicken Inn head coach Joey Antipas.

Last year, Craig got the top goal scorer award after scoring five goals in the Proton and Surrey Under 20 annual football tournament that was played in Bulawayo.

Tanaka Chitimbe of Mzilikazi High School was the best goalkeeper.

Farai Hanyani of St Eric High School was the best coach and his player Edson Ndlovu was named the best player of the tournament.
Craig’s father said he is more than happy that his son, a genius in the making, has been snatched by a PSL side.

“As a parent, I noted his talent at Grade Three. He went over to lead the Thomas Coulter Primary School football team. When he went to Form One, he continued with his love for football as he was selected to represent the country at the Cossasa games. The boy has been a blessing in my life. From a young age, I encouraged him to play football. It was his passion to play for Chicken Inn,” he said.

Craig’s teammate Tshalibe stays in Bulawayo’s high density suburb of Entumbane.

Mpopoma High School Sports Academy (Mposa) director James Rugwevera said they are also pleased to now have a PSL player as an academic institution.

Mposa is an initiative that has nurtured a number of rising footie stars that include ex Dynamos midfielder Junior Makunike who is now in the books of ambitious premiership club Simba Bhora.

Mposa has also previously provided home to Chicken Inn right back Arthur Chinda and Hwange’s creative midfielder Tendai Muvuti among others.

Late last year, Tshalibe was the fans favourite when Zimbabwe Under 15 side took part in the Cosafa Schools contest that was played at Harare’s

Gateway High School. The young winger had a breathtaking show earning starting places in a campaign in which Zimbabwe finished third after beating Namibia in a third place play off. It was no wonder that Chicken Inn pampered the boy with groceries in a move that was meant to further motivate him.

The starlet dreams of playing for big clubs in England.

“My dream is to play for a big club in England. I believe I can do it if I keep on working hard and keep on praying that my dream comes true,” he said.

In the previous years, Warriors captain Marvelous Nakamba burst onto the local football scene with now defunct Bantu Rovers having his local premiership debut when he was still at high school.

In 2019, Nakamba helped Bantu Rovers to add another feather in the cap in the football development project when he smashed the record for Zimbabwe’s international transfers after agreeing to a deal worth more than £11 million.

Teenage Hadebe is also a product of the Bantu Rovers nursery which has churned out the likes of Kudakwashe Mahachi, Danny “Deco” Phiri, Tafadzwa Kutinyu, Botswana based Nqobizitha Masuku and Ray “Ndori Ndori” Lunga. – @FungaiMuderere