The Bright Stars Soccer Academy camp in Norton is in celebratory mood ahead of the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Zone 5 Youth Games kicking off in Namibia this week.The cause of celebration is 15-year-old soccer ace Merian Genti, who is travelling with Team Zimbabwe. Genti is making a second trip to Windhoek, having been part of the Zimbabwe Schools team which participated at the COSAFA tournament of the FIFA Forward-supported CAF Schools Programme last year.
This time, she is part of the Zimbabwe U-20 national team which was sent-off in style at a Harare venue on Monday. They will play their first match against Botswana on Friday 4 July 2025.
Genti is a product of the Norton-based soccer school, having been nurtured and coached there for a decade now. She joined at the age of five! Commenting on her latest national call-up, BSSA officials were audibly over the moon.
BSSA’s Chief Executive Officer, Clodius Ngwenya, said Genti’s story will always be a source of inspiration for other young players at the academy.“This is a big step, not only for her but all the young players dreaming of making it to the big stage”, said Ngwenya to The Norton Times from his United Kingdom (UK) base.He also heaped praise on the academy’s chief coach, who is also its Managing Director, Cephas Bobo, saying his documented work with young footballers was always going to bear results. Ngwenya added that more such stories can be expected from Bright Stars Soccer Academy soon.“This is just the beginning, and we are excited to see more of our players stepping on to bigger platforms. You will soon hear a lot of these stories from our academy”, he said.
Genti is the latest in a string of Bright Stars Soccer Academy products who have represented the country over the years, with another female, Rutendo Makore, probably the highest-profile one. The bustling forward, now at former Zimbabwe champions Black Rhinos Queens, was a member of the history-making Mighty Warriors (national team) which qualified and participated at the Olympic Games in Brazil in 2014. She later earned herself a stint in Spain.It is the hope at Bright Stars that Genti is on course to similar glory.