GOTHIA CUP: A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG PLAYERS

Chiparamba players

By Mike Mubanga

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 41^st 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.

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. 

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.

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.

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!