By Desire Tshuma
Vanduzi / Mozambique – Manica Diamonds FC owner and president Evance Kamombo has unveiled ambitious plans to invest more than US$5 million to transform the Njerenje Educational Facility in Mozambique into a world-class football development centre.
A high-powered Manica Diamonds delegation travelled to Vanduzi District in Manica Province on Monday to tour the Njerenje facility. The visit culminated in high-level discussions focused on youth football development for boys aged 6 to 17, with an emphasis on combining elite training with education.
Kamombo said the Njerenje Academy will be designed to identify, nurture and develop young talent from Zimbabwe and the region, while creating sustainable pathways for players to reach professional football.
“This is clear evidence that we are not merely talking about football development, we are investing significantly in it,” Kamombo said during the discussions.
The more than US$5 million investment underlines Kamombo’s long-term commitment to the game at a time when football development in the region requires both vision and private capital.
Kamombo is one of the few individuals in Zimbabwe currently single-handedly bankrolling a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League club. He continues to finance Manica Diamonds FC at the top level while also running the club’s Under-19 side. The proposed Njerenje Academy is set to become the next step in the club’s grassroots pipeline.
Football administrators say such private investment is critical. With limited resources from associations and government, clubs that build academies are seen as key to producing the next generation of players who can compete locally and internationally.
The Njerenje project is being positioned as more than just a football academy. According to Kamombo, it will use football as a vehicle for education, social development and sporting excellence. The aim is to ensure young players get formal schooling alongside professional coaching so they can realise their full potential on and off the pitch.
The academy also aligns with broader objectives championed by FIFA to expand youth development structures across Africa. By setting up a cross-border facility in Manica Province, Manica Diamonds is tapping into talent pools in both Zimbabwe and Mozambique while strengthening sporting ties between the two neighbouring countries.
For Kamombo, the vision goes beyond winning the Premier Soccer League. It is about infrastructure, about giving a 10-year-old in Mutare or Vanduzi the same chance to be scouted, trained and educated that exists at elite academies elsewhere on the continent.
At a time when many clubs struggle to survive from season to season, Manica Diamonds’ owner is betting on the long game. If the Njerenje Academy comes to fruition, it could become one of the biggest privately funded youth development projects in the region.