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Chiparamba players |
There are many pathways that
lead to expertise in football. Among them is early-engagement in football from
early childhood, which is important for the development of all players.
International tournament are
one of an effective option for young players to fit in the international
profile of the demands of the game of football.
Thanks to Chiparamba
Breakthrough Soccer Academy, Lusaka Youth Soccer Academy and many other Zambian
academies that are making it happen for these young players.
Sweden is the home of the
world's finest international soccer tournament – The Gothia Cup.
Heading to Sweden for this
great event and meeting young people from Africa, Asia, Europe and some
countries is probably the greatest cultural experience a young football player from
Zambia could have!
With over 1,500 teams,
playing over one thousand matches on hundreds of different pitches, for one
week in July every year, the Gothia Cup in Sweden unites grassroots footballers
from all over the world.
Staged in Gothenburg, the
competition involves 7 boys categories and 6 girls categories, with those aged
from 13 to 18 playing 11-a-side matches and those 12 and 11 competing in
7-a-side game.
The 2015 edition is the 41st
staging of the event, an event that has been breaking grassroots boundaries
since it started.
From their perspective, for the
Chiparamba Breakthrough Soccer Academy, it's a huge experience for them.
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| Chiparamba players |
Apart from Danny Siapelela
whose participated in the Gothia Cup as a kid in 2009, it is the first time
that all the Chiparamba players have been taken out of their home situations
and then going on tour.
This is good for them in
order to understand what it means to be a footballer away from home.
Because later on, when they
get down to the part where they do have to go overseas to trials, or when they
do have to go overseas to play, they now have that understanding of what they
need to do as footballers themselves.
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| Chiparamba players |
Several players to have taken
part in the Gothia Cup down the years have moved on to that next level, and in
many cases, beyond, with a plethora of famous names able to point to playing in
the tournament as a milestone in their development during their formative
years.
In Zambia, players like 2012
AFCON winner Davies Nkausu and Hichani Himoonde, Given Singuluma, Edwin Phiri,
Boyd Mwila, late Yorum Mwila, Jimmy Chisenga, William Njobvu, Clifford Mulenga,
Dominic and Donewell Yobe, among others come up here in Gothenburg for the
prestigious tournament.
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| Singuluma |
Green Buffaloes’ Friday Samu,
Davy Daka of Zanaco and Patrick ‘Dude’ Ngoma of Red Arrows are the latest
products that Chiparamba continues to expose through the Gothia Cup.
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| Pirlo |
On the international front, there
have been some really good players who were kind of born here, like Andre Pirlo
from Italy, Togo skipper Emmanuel Adebayor,Spain’s Xavi Alonso, Sweden’s
skipper Zlatan Ibrahimovic and former England great, Alan Shearer; of course – You
could spot their talent on the Gothia Cup pitch.
Impossible is nothing, the
current Chiparamba team is capableof breaking through on the national and
international scene.
Let the games begin!
