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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
THIRTY-FIVE young footballers have been shortlisted for a training camp set for next month to be conducted by American scouts.

The 35 were selected during two sets of trials held over two weeks for academically gifted athletes. The final series where the 35 were selected ended on Wednesday at White City Stadium.

Former Highlanders and Young Warriors striker Mkhokheli Dube organised the trials through his club, Zebra Revolution in preparation for American scouts who will identify young footballers for scholarships.

Players who will go for next month’s final trials were selected from a total of 120 participants drawn from across the country.

Dube expressed satisfaction on the turnout and outcome of the trials.

“We had 90 boys at the first trials where we shortlisted 34 so that they train with those who had not made it in the first set. The last set of trials, including the 34 we had earlier identified had 64 boys. We had at least 15 coming from outside of Bulawayo, a couple from Gweru, Harare, Chinhoyi, Hwange, Gwanda and Beitbridge.

“We have shortlisted 35 boys for January. The boys that have been shortlisted will start training in beginning of January,” Dube said.

The trials were for young footballers between the ages of 17 and 19. Scouts will be coming from the USA in the second week of January to look at these young footballers with good grades.

Former national team’s utility player Kelvin Madzongwe, FC Platinum’s midfielder Rainsome Pavari, Chicken Inn captain Moses Jackson and ex-Bosso, Railstars’ Mtewa Masuku joined ex-Highlanders and Young Warriors striker Dube in identifying young footballers ahead of a visit by American scouts.

Dube, a beneficiary of a football scholarship that saw him spending almost a decade in the United States of America said the two days of trials were enough to identify qualify footballers.

Mkhokheli Dube

Before setting foot on the field for assessment, the participants produced their birth certificates and reports for those yet to write or awaiting O-level results.

The former Bosso striker who went on to play in America’s topflight, the Major Soccer League (MSL) used the relations he established while in the USA to invite the scouts so that he may give opportunities to young footballers.