04/06/2026
Play in Europe or Forget the National Team" – Jomo Dyson’s Blunt Warning to Zim Youth
This is Jomo Dyson's message to Zimbabwean junior players in the PYE project:
If you are in the UK and not attached to a European professional club, breaking into the national team will be a struggle—even if you show immense talent. As we speak, Zimbabwe has many young players in elite academies like Manchester City, Norwich City, Nottingham Forest, Preston FC, Blackburn Rovers, Huddersfield Town, Liverpool, Leeds United, Sheffield United, Southampton, Chelsea, and Leicester City. How do you justify your selection ahead of these boys when you are playing non-league football?
I delivered this exact message to a Zimbabwean boy in my project who was heading to a professional club for a trial. I told him, "You need a European club under your belt for the nation to back you."
Jomo gave the example of Kundai Benyu. When he was at Celtic, he was highly favored by national team selectors; look at him now—it is not the same story since he joined CAPS United. Jomo then gave another example: Tavonga Kuleya, who was with the UK third-tier club Doncaster, is now being benched at Simba Bhora, a team equivalent to the 12th tier by UK rankings. It is a humiliating and regrettable move for Tavonga. He would have been better off playing even at the Conference level, which is ranked higher than our NPSL.
For Jomo, the formula is clear: play for a professional club in Europe and you can march right into the national team. If you get into the top two tiers of a top footballing nation—just like Corbin (18) at Ipswich Town, Dlamini (19) at Blackburn Rovers, and Kuzanga (17) at Southampton FC, Kristian Clarke 19, Nottingham Forest, 18 year Dylan Tawodzera Hudderfield, Lucian Mahofo 20 year Norwich city, Tanatswa Nyakuwa 20 years in Cardiff City, Thiery Katsukunya 20 year old at Aston Villa. Leone Chiwome 20 Wolverhampton Wanderers
—Taropafadzwa Wafawarova 18 Newcastle Jets in Australia, Richard Nkomo 19 Newcastle Jets Australia no one will question your abilities.
Under the leadership of Nqobile Magwizi, ZIFA is making great strides in recruiting young players of Zimbabwean origin. We have seen the Zimbabwean embassy collaborating with Marshall Gore's Team Zimbabwe to issue passports to UK-born youth players signed to professional clubs. These youngsters—such as 22-year-old Tawanda Chirewa of Wolverhampton Wanderers, , 20-year-old Sean Fusire of Sheffield Wednesday, and 23-year-old Tawanda Masvanhise of Motherwell—are quickly becoming the backbone of our national team.
Jomo Dyson Dzapasi founded PYE Football Scouting, Trials & Development 15 years ago in UK and has seen many young UK talented players signed by premier league, championship and league 1/2 clubs. The project
