Local soccer academy: A beacon of hope

With the Taifa Stars now standing on the verge of awakening from their slumber, there are also pleasing developments which suggest that youth football is also tentatively on the up and up in the country.

One such development has been the setting up of the Tanzanian soccer academy by its founder and project manager, Jason Barry.

Impressively, the academy provides players with free schooling, equipment, clothing and training for a full year.

Encouragingly, Barry believes that the only reason preventing Tanzania from rubbing shoulders with the likes of Nigeria and Cameroon is the glaring lack of youth development.

Indeed, Barry`s initiative in setting up the academy should be lauded to the hilt. Having said this though, it is depressing to note that Barry`s outstanding project is the first academy geared at moulding precocious starlets into top notch professionals in the country.

Therefore, in spite of his laudable efforts, it should be patently obvious that if no serious moves are made towards the development of youth football by the incoming TFF administration, our progress in football will proceed perpetually at a crawl rather than at a gallop.

We maintain this footballing theme as we now consider the ludicrously, short shelf-life of managers at Real Madrid.

Indeed, this fact was very much in evidence earlier this week when the reigning La Liga champions gave their former coach, Bernd Schuster, the boot in an unceremonious fashion.

Sadly, history suggests though that there is precedent for this sort of rash move at Real Madrid.

Indeed, just a few seasons ago, the present England manager, Fabio Capello, was sacked as coach of the galacticos after leading them to the La Liga title.

Thus, as Real Madrid seemingly grope in the dark, searching for a winning formula, perhaps the club bosses should consider showing more patience to the manager of the day.

After all, in the run-up to Schuster`s sacking, Real Madrid had only slumped to 5th on the La Liga table.

Lloyd Elipokea is a sports
commentator

• SOURCE: Sunday Observer