By Tapiwa Chawagarira
HARARE — Bulawayo and Manicaland emerged as the standout provinces at the inaugural BancABC Roots Impact Programme Tournament after sharing the four major titles at the national youth football showcase in Harare.
Bulawayo claimed the Under-14 Boys and Under-16 Girls championships, while Manicaland walked away with the Under-14 Girls and Under-16 Boys titles as the tournament brought together Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces.
The competition, which ran from August 23 to 30 at Prince Edward School and Allan Wilson School, marked the culmination of provincial competition under the BancABC Roots Impact Programme, giving some of the country’s most promising young footballers an opportunity to compete on a national stage.
Bulawayo was particularly impressive, finishing the Under-14 Boys campaign unbeaten after nine matches, recording seven victories and two draws to accumulate 23 points.
Their defensive organisation proved decisive, with the champions conceding just five goals throughout the campaign while finishing with a healthy plus-14 goal difference.
Manicaland, Mashonaland Central and Harare all finished on 17 points in the race for second place, but Manicaland secured the runners-up position on goal difference.
Bulawayo completed their double in the Under-16 Girls category, producing arguably the most powerful attacking display of the tournament.
The champions collected 24 points from nine matches, winning eight games and scoring 35 goals while conceding only nine. Manicaland finished second with 22 points, while Midlands occupied third place with 19 points. Manicaland, however, had their own reason to celebrate after dominating the two remaining categories.
The province swept aside the competition in the Under-14 Girls division, collecting 24 points from eight wins and one defeat.
Their plus-18 goal difference reflected their attacking dominance, with Masvingo finishing second with 20 points and Bulawayo third with 17.
Manicaland then completed their national double by winning the Under-16 Boys title. They finished at the top with 20 points from six wins, two draws, and one defeat, ahead of Mashonaland East with 16 points.
Harare took third place with 15 points despite producing the division’s most prolific attack, scoring 22 goals. The success of Bulawayo and Manicaland comes against the backdrop of a new approach to youth football development in Zimbabwe.
The BancABC Roots Impact Programme was launched as a structured, nationwide pathway covering Under-14 and Under-16 football for both boys and girls.
BancABC committed US$200 000 towards the junior football initiative, with the programme designed to provide young players with regular competition, talent identification and a clearer route towards Zimbabwe’s national teams.
The programme is considerably broader than a conventional youth tournament. ZIFA says it has been established as a year-round development platform involving all 10 provinces and five national hubs — Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Mutare and Masvingo.
The initiative is also intended to link school, community and provincial football while creating a merit-based pathway for talented players to progress into the national junior structures.
