Future Stars Set to Shine in Mutare as National Under-15 Schools Football Tournament Kicks Off

Mutare becomes the heartbeat of Zimbabwean football this week as the National Under-15 boys’ and girls’ school’s tournament roars into life at Mutare Boys High from September 25 to 26. Organised by the National Association of Primary School Heads (NAPH) and the National Association of Secondary School Heads (NASH), the event will showcase the country’s finest young talent drawn from every province, with dreams, pride and the future of Zimbabwean football at stake.

The draws were conducted and vetted on Wednesday 24 September, confirming groups that promised thrilling clashes from the first whistle on Thursday starting at 0730Hrs. In the boys’ section, Pamushana of Masvingo, Greater Heights College from Mashonaland East, Chipindura High of Mashonaland Central, and Harare’s Allan Wilson will trade blows in Group A. Group B throws host Mutare Boys High into battle against Somvubu from Matabeleland North, Gifford from Bulawayo, and Chiedza Karoi from Mashonaland West. Group C features Masera of Matabeleland South, Guinea Fowl of Midlands, Mweya Mutsvene of Manicaland, and Rusununguko from Mashonaland East. The girls’ competition has its own fireworks lined up, with Mutare Girls, Gweshe of Mashonaland Central, Bulawayo’s Mpopoma, and Goromonzi from Mashonaland East forming Group A. Group B brings together Rufaro, Dekezi, Somvubu of Matabeleland North, and Murerezi, while Group C consists of St Eric’s, Mabvuku of Harare, Mangubeni, and Manicaland’s Nyamauru.

For many, these are just schoolchildren chasing a ball. For Zimbabwe, this is where the real work of football development begins. At fifteen, players are entering the age where tactical awareness, discipline, and technical growth must be sharpened. Without these stages, the country will always struggle to produce polished athletes for the Warriors and Mighty Warriors. Too often, our football structures have been guilty of discovering players too late, when the technical foundations have already hardened. Tournaments like this one are not just about winning medals, they are deliberate investments into a pipeline that can produce tomorrow’s stars.

It is at events such as this where scouts and coaches can identify raw gems and channel them into professional pathways, whether through academies, provincial youth structures, or national junior teams. This is why NAPH and NASH’s commitment to staging such a high-level, nationwide competition is so significant. It symbolises a recognition that grassroots football is not an afterthought but the bedrock of the game. Without it, Zimbabwe will never be able to compete consistently at continental and global levels.

The names being shouted from the touchline in Mutare this week may not yet be familiar, but they represent a generation on whose shoulders the weight of national football revival will rest. For the boys and girls on the pitch, this is the first taste of national competition and the first step into the demanding world of elite sport. For the nation, it is a rare opportunity to build from the ground up, to spot talent before it slips through the cracks, and to lay foundations for a brighter footballing tomorrow.

This tournament is not just be about provincial bragging rights. It is about the future, about a country finally acknowledging that the road to stronger senior teams begins with nurturing disciplined, technically gifted, and confident fifteen-year-olds. Mutare will be alive with voices and dreams, and for two days, the city will stand as a reminder that the future of Zimbabwean football depends not on miracles, but on structures like these that dare to build from the roots.

More News