German support for Zim football
The German government, through the Germany Olympic Federation, continued their support for local football when they donated soccer balls and training equipment to four newly promoted clubs in the Marange Resources National Women’s Soccer League.
Newcomers — Aces Academy, Burrow Gates, Tannex Queens, Auckland — received the donation which was presented by to the Women’s Soccer League by the Germany Olympic Federation, through Warriors’ coach Klaus Dieter Pagels.
The donation consists of 20 soccer balls per team, training cones, training bibs, ball pumps and thera bands for physiotherapy.
The promoted teams were the latest sides to receive the equipment after the teams that featured in the top-flight league were presented with their equipment last December. Pagels, who sourced the equipment, had promised to make a further donation to the teams that would be promoted.
The new clubs hailed the donation and Aces Academy technical director, Marc Duvillard, said they were ready to play in the league.
“For us it was a nice season, the team scored 204 goals and we didn’t have challenges and the level was low, so we are happy to be finally promoted and what is important is that this league has sponsors,” he said.
“It is good that we have received this training material and soccer balls and will make our training even nicer. We are an academy and we are here to produce good players. We started in 2003 and over the years have had more than 200 players playing in various national teams,” Duvillard said.
Meanwhile Zimbabwe Women Soccer League chairperson Mavis Gumbo, thanked the Germany Olympic Federation and Pagels who, in his capacity as the Zifa technical advisor, was seconded here under a Government-to-Government agreement in 2010.
“We are grateful to what Pagels is doing for our football, especially women’s soccer. He has in the past organised a training camp in Germany for our national team and has sent our Young Mighty Warriors’ coaches to Germany for a high-level training course. We hope this donation will help the new clubs to prepare for the Marange league which is getting more competitive by each passing season,” said Gumbo.
