Prophet Bushiri Foundation unveils football talent scouting project for Goshen City Dedza Dynamos and national teams

* This is just the beginning — the country should expect more of these projects and programmes which we will be conducting in different districts to promote local talent

* Our main reason is to scout players, promote talent, and find out which players we can actually get—Prophet Shepherd Bushiri

* The launch at Mchinji Community Ground was spiced up a 4-Team Tournament involving NBS Bank NDL side Mchinji Villa FC alongside Mchinji Boma Strikers, Ludzi Hammers and Mkanda Youth FC

By Vincent Khonje, MANA

A mammoth crowd gathered at Mchinji Community Ground where Prophet Bushiri Foundation organised a talent scouting bonanza on Saturday as the launch of a football talent scouting project to identify players for Goshen City Dedza Dynamos and also national teams.

The record crowd for the community ground since its rehabilitation in 2024 spiced up a 4-Team Tournament which involved NBS Bank National Division League (NDL) side Mchinji Villa FC alongside three lower league sides, Mchinji Boma Strikers, Ludzi Hammers and Mkanda Youth FC.

The Foundation’s founder, Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, sponsors TNM Super League side, Dedza Dynamos — under the Goshen City project. The Dynamos are currently sitting on the 11th place in the country’s elite league.

The talent identification project was graced by the Foundation’s founder, Prophet Bushiri, who indicated that that initiative is not only for the Goshen City Dedza Dynamos, but to also offer a platform to expose more players to be tapped by clubs outside Malawi to explore more opportunities.

Thus the initiative is meant to create a larger pool of talent to tapped from for all levels of the national teams: “So our coming here is just to launch this bigger project,” said Bushiri. “As you are aware, our foundation has been engaging in football activities and sports for years.

“So this is just the beginning — the country should expect more of these projects and programmes which we will be conducting in different districts to promote local talent. Our main reason is to scout players, promote talent, and find out which players we can actually get.”

Present to spice up the glamorous event was deputy director of sports in the Ministry of Sports, Kinnah Phiri — the country’s and African football’s legend — who said this was one of the best ways of strengthening the national team, and also an aspect of football development.

“Most of the players in the national team come from the rural areas,” said the legend, who was also spotted by Bata Bullets whilst playing in rural Karonga in the 1970s and he attested to that this is a significant talent scouting initiative.

“To find those players now, you need such projects — going into the communities to empower the players. I urge other people with resources that they should be interested in coming up with such initiatives,” said the legend and former Malawi national football team coach, who steered the team to their 2nd appearance of the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) — the Angola 2010 edition.

He was recently roped in as technical director for Goshen City Dedza Dynamos when the side was in the relegation zone of the TNM Super League at 14th place, but now are 11th.

This follows beating Songwe Border 3-0 to move to 12th, losing 1-3 to Karonga United and beating MAFCO 2-1 to move to 11th — remaining with three more games to wrap the 16-team elite football league.

When he was being unveiled two weeks ago, Kinnah indicated that the Dynamos have a strong chance of surviving relegation in the TNM Super League, if the players work hard and win their remaining matches.

Kinnah told the media that his role is to offer technical advice to football teams across the country, not only for Goshen City Dedza Dynamos — thus his applause for the Shepherd Bushiri Foundation’s focus to identify young talent from the grassroots.

Meanwhile, Mchinji Villa, who are 10th in the relegation zone of the NBS Bank NDL, edged out their town rivals Mchinji Boma Strikers 4-2 in the final match of the K26 million worth Shepherd Bushiri Foundation Bonanza and went away with K5 million — with the runners going away with K2.5 million.—Edited by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express