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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
FOUR teams will compete in the closing Bulawayo-based Footballers Union of Zimbabwe (Fuz) training camp for out-of-contract players at St Columba’s High School in Makokoba tomorrow.

The five-day camp started on Tuesday at the Heath Streak Multi-Sports Centre in Suburbs.

Players attending the programme have been going through their paces under the technical guidance of Dalubuhle Bhebhe, Joel Luphahla, Dazzy Kapenya, Peter “Oxo” Nkomo and Itai Kapini.

Desmond Maringwa, the Fuz president, yesterday said the coaches would select teams for the closing day’s competition from the 70 participants that attended yesterday’s training session.

“The programme is coming to an end and the numbers have increased to 70 from 47 we had on the first day and Wednesday’s 60. Some of the participants came from Hwange as well as Blanket Mine in Gwanda. Saturday’s training game is meant to give coaches or clubs that failed to attend the midweek sessions a chance to look at the players in a game situation. As Fuz, we will also come up with a team of players to play friendly matches against Premiership and First Division teams in pre-season matches in the coming weeks,” said Maringwa.

A number of unheralded players from the First Division and Division Two leagues are hoping to attract interest from local clubs.

Maringwa said clubs were free to directly negotiate with players they would have spotted at the camp without involving Fuz.

“There are fears among certain clubs that these players belong to Fuz, which is not true. Fuz is only facilitating a platform where players without contracts can train and afford clubs an opportunity to look at some of the players available in the market. If a team is interested in any player, they can directly negotiate with the player without involving the union. We will be happy if one or two players secure deals after this Bulawayo programme,” said Maringwa.

Maringwa said FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza took two Under-19 players from the Harare training camp, with Dynamos and Black Rhinos also inviting four players for their trials after last week’s training camp held in Harare.

— @ZililoR.