Sports Reporter
After a two-year Covid-19 induced hiatus, the Jadel Football Academy Invitational Tournament marks its return.
A brain child of former Zimbabwe Youth International, Walter Musanhu, the tournament will this year run under the theme “Giving the youths a better future and making football career; don’t allow drugs rob you of your dreams.”
A total of ten academies will battle it out at the second edition of the Jadel Football Academy U-16 Invitational tournament set for Prince Edward on December 22.
“We are expecting a total of number of 10, U-16 teams to participate. “The tournament shall be held under the theme, “Giving the youths a better future band making football a career, don’t allow drugs to rob you of your dreams”, reads the JFA press statement.
Guest of honor at the launch of the second edition of the tournament, former Zimbabwe International, Edward Sadomba praised Musanhu for hosting the tournament as it fights drug abuse within communities.
“I would like to thank the founder and club president for Jadel Academy, Walter Musanhu, club presidents and coaches here for the job you are doing in keeping the youths out of drugs with the academies that you have set up in different areas you live.
“You are not only changing lives but you are also saving the lives of our youths. “Sport plays a part in fighting against many vices that affect our youths, and again I would like to thank Musanhu for organising this U-16 Invitational tournament,” said Sadomba.
The ten participating teams are JFA, Ali Sundowns, Zim Young, Dreamers Academy, Golden Eagles, Galaxy Academy, Hwange Classics, Mbare Academy, Power 11 and CUMA.
The winners from the tournament are expected to walk away with a floating trophy while various individual’s awards are on offer.
The tournament is set to write its own piece of history in Zimbabwe football following revelations that only females will match officials at the tournament.
“Another exciting feature of this year’s edition is that for the first time we have made it an exclusive all-female referee tournament. We are very much alive to the various initiatives towards women empowerment and hence we also felt obliged to make our modest contribution towards the goal,” reads the JFA statement. 
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