By Flata Kavinga
Hardrock Football Club is looking to establish a distinct football identity anchored on youth development, discipline and a consistent playing philosophy as it moves to strengthen its structures through a planned academy.
The Kwekwe-based club intends to nurture players from the age of 13, allowing them to grow within its football culture rather than relying heavily on recruiting players developed elsewhere.
Hardrock FC board member Charles Chahwanda said developing a recognisable football identity required investing in young players and instilling the club’s values from an early age.
Speaking to journalists after a tour of the club’s infrastructure by a high-level delegation from Portuguese football giants Benfica, Chahwanda said the proposed academy would be central to building a sustainable football culture.
“Our idea is to make sure that we nurture them, introduce them into our culture of football at an early age so that we create a visible identity in terms of playing style, behaviour-wise and everything,” he said.
Chahwanda said the club’s current recruitment model, which involved bringing in players from different backgrounds, made it difficult to establish a uniform football identity.
He said developing players through the club’s own structures would provide an opportunity to mould them into a team that shared the same playing philosophy, discipline and values.
“Soccer is not about skill only but it also resonates with the kind of discipline that you instil into the player,” he said.
Chahwanda said Hardrock was looking to learn from Benfica’s experience in youth development, with the Portuguese giants having established themselves as one of Europe’s recognised clubs in nurturing young talent.
He said the visiting delegation’s tour had provided the club with valuable lessons that would inform its approach to building a sustainable development system.
“To be able to do that successfully, you need to learn from people who have done that successfully. That’s why Benfica is here. They have won accolades in Europe as the best club in youth development,” he said.
Chahwanda said the club had already secured land for the proposed academy and was consulting its partners on technical aspects of the project, which could influence the initial designs and budget.
The initial construction target is eight months, with work expected to commence after completion of the B Arena project.
He said the timeline could, however, be affected by bad weather and delays in the delivery of some materials expected to be imported.
