By Anesu Chakanetsa

COACHES often call on experience when planning to play against what are considered tough opponents.
And this experience is embedded in players who are usually in the twilight of their careers, in particular those who have already cut their milk teeth in premiership football.
Yet despite the experience tag they carry, the question they invoke in the minds of supporters is: Do these players really add value?
Buttressing this question is the continued call by fans to inject new blood, not recycled players who would have played for almost every team in the premiership.
According the Premier Soccer League (PSL) regulations, only five out of 30 players registered by premiership teams for any season must be junior players.
The remaining 25 have better chances of making it to first team simply on the basis of so-called experience over the five registered junior players.
This is because local teams are driven by results-oriented play at the expense of talent development.
When Zimbabwe were held to a two-all draw by Algeria on Sunday during an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) group match, one of the pundits on Super Sport implored Zimbabwe to continue unearthing more gems in order for the country to achieve greater success in future.
It was all about star forward Khama Billiat. Zimbabwe had matched their fancied opponents man-for-man, threatening to outclass the Desert Foxes (Algeria).
While it is believed football knows no age limits, nurturing of young players is important, according to Dynamos coach, Lloyd Mutasa.
“When young players are available, they should be given a chance to play, that is if they are also good,” he said.
Mutasa is well-known for grooming young players at Dynamos since 2011, when he was assistant to Calisto Pasuwa, now the Warriors gaffer.
Archford Gutu, Denver Mukamba, Carlos Rusere, Tatenda Mukuruva and Bret Amidu, among others, came through Mutasa.
“It’s important to give chances to young players within the team’s junior ranks because they embrace the team’s nature of play and that’s why we see teams with vibrant junior ranks prosper in Zimbabwe,” said Mutasa
Zimbabwe has in recent times struggled to select Under-17 and 20 players from schools and academies because the structures to harness talent are simply not there.
Yet even at club level, young players are rarely given the chance to excel.
The Junior Policy system which proved effective in the past must now be mandatory for every club taking part in the premiership.
In 1986, taking advantage of a group of senior players who had deserted the team over remuneration, Highlanders Club introduced apprentices from their junior ranks.
Willard Khumalo, Adam Ndlovu, Rahman Gumbo, Mercedes Sibanda and Dumisani Ngulube were some of the players.
Peter Ndlovu followed a year later.
Highlanders then scooped the Natbrew and Heroes Cup respectively that same year.
These players later formed the core of the much loved ‘Dream Team’.
Peter and Adam Ndlovu continued playing up to the time they contributed to Zimbabwe’s 2004 and 2006 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) held in Tunisia and Egypt respectively.
Coming from Highlanders’ junior ranks, Peter went on to play in the English Premiership for Coventry City where he was likened to the great Welsh and Manchester United George Best due to his scintillating displays.
Peter also played English Division 1 Football for Birmingham, Coventry and Sheffield United.
Dynamos’ 1990s squads comprised players who had risen from the junior structures.
These juniors were to become heroes when Dynamos reached the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League final against Asec Mimosas.
They consisted of Memory Mucherahwohwa, Clayton Munemo, Desmond Maringwa, Murape Murape, Tonderai Ndiraya and Leo Kurauzvione, among others.
After this generation, Dynamos also introduced another bright set of young players in 2001, under Coach Moses Chunga, also a junior football enthusiast.
From Glen View Academy, Chunga groomed Eddie Mashiri, Samson Choruwa, Fidelis Mangezi and Norman Maroto.
But this promising crop of young players’ development was hampered by the chaos that has constantly rocked DeMbare.
They were crippled by junior policy’s greatest disadvantage, lack of support from the club’s leadership and supporters.
Despite the hostilities, the youngsters won the Zimbabwe Charity Shield in 2002.
The greatest example of a solid junior policy in that decade came from CAPS United who introduced players from their junior ranks from 2001 to 2003.
Although they were a bit delayed, they scooped both the 2004 and 2005 PSL Cup.
The line-up included the likes of Energy Murambadoro, Cephas Chimedza, Raymond Undi, Ashley Rambanepasi (then Muza), Leonard Tsipa, Limited Chikafa and Brian Badza.
When CAPS were basking in glory in their respective 2004-05 season, Highlanders were also busy nurturing another set of young brilliant players consisting of Honour Gombami, Johannes Ngodzo and Eric Mudzingwa.
These young players helped Highlanders scoop the 2006 title, while collaborating with the regulars; Tapuwa Kapini, Richard Choruma and Mthulisi Maphosa.
In 2011, a set of Dynamos young players were introduced from junior ranks while others were bought from local academies.
Denver Mukamba and Archieford Gutu were brought in from other academies while Partson Jaure, George Chigova and Augustine Mbara rose through the ranks.
They led Dynamos to a period of success, winning four consecutive league titles.
Last year, the PSL saw the resuscitation of old horses, who had been juniors at their respective or other PSL teams.
Leonard Tsipa re-joined CAPS United while Ralph Matema re-joined Highlanders.
Former Motor Action midfielder Clemence Matawu was in the books of deposed champions Chicken Inn, while Chikafa and Thomas Sweswe were in ZPC Kariba’s line up.
Last season, most teams had middle-to-old-aged players.
This is despite most of them having junior policies.
Highlanders coach Elroy Akbay tried to use young players last season in the likes of Bhukosi Sibanda, King Nadolo, Peter Muduwa and Prince Dube.
FC Platinum also boasts a compact junior policy, but seems to be in the habit of using its deep pocket to buy quality middle-aged players from other clubs.
Already they have signed Gift Mbweti from Hwange and Bret Amidu from Dynamos.
Such developments dent hopes of junior players for the senior team.
Ngezi Platinum on the other hand has a junior team, but most of the seasoned players are bought from other clubs, especially Dynamos.
This also goes for ZPC Kariba, whose junior players are stationed at Nyamhunga High School, but don’t have the chance of ‘feeling’ premiership football.
Tatenda Mukuruva, only 21 years, is currently the national team goalkeeper.
His national team counterparts Donovan Bernard and Nelson Chadya are also young.
If they were not groomed and tested, surely they would not be currently representing the nation in the Gabon 2017 AFCON.
‘Catch them young’ is indeed key.