By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA

WORLDWIDE Scholarship in conjunction with a British Sports company, Premier Football UK, will next month hold trials for young players aimed at taking them into the European leagues.

Worldwide Scholarship Africa director, Munya Maraire said the trials would be held from December 13 to 15 in South Africa and that Premier Football UK’s scout, William Ferry would oversee the process.

Maraire said Ferry was recently in South Africa scouting for talent and had identified a few players and that another set of trials had been arranged.

“Worldwide Scholarship has been actively involved in searching for talent and we have been giving a lot of kids an opportunity to get into Europe and other leagues around the world. We also organise sports scholarships for these young players to various universities,” he said.

He said the Worldwide Scholarship Zambia office would be taking registrations for all players interested and make travel arrangement for this opportunity.

Maraire said Zambia was a country with a lot of talented players and had in the past gone through all the processes of trials and almost got their opportunity through the Nike trials last year.

Last year as many as 27 players from Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa attended trials through the link between Worldwide Scholarship and its subsidiaries across the globe.

He said at the just ended Africa soccer trials event in Johannesburg, two players were identified and would attend trials in Europe.

Ivory Coast’s Ishmael Noufou Sanogo from the Christian Progressive College and Keamogetswe Mokalake from Grey College in Bloemfontein, South Africa were picked and that Ferry was arranging for them to attend trials in Europe.

The two players are scheduled to leave by this monthend and will link up with other budding footballers from across the world for a two-week trial stint.

Maraire said his organisation looks at players from ages between nine to 21 and that with the impression given to Ferry in the last trials, there was likely to be more opportunities and talent searches.

Ferry said he was impressed with the levels of football in Africa despite the youngsters not having the best of equipment and pitches.

“It is amazing to see the level of football given some of the facilities the players have been playing on. These players have a realistic chance of making it in Europe though there is no promise that they will make it. But at the end of the day, it is up to what they do when they get there.