BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE
ZIMBABWE women football youth international Beata Chako has secured a four-year university scholarship in the United States, which will see her join former national side teammate Vanessa Mateko at Brewton-Parker College in Georgia.
The 19-year-old Zimbabwe women’s Under-20 football star is set to leave the country for the city of Mount Vernon next week.
Just like Mateto, Chako’s move to the US was facilitated by former Arcadia United and Young Warriors utility player Miguel Lemming through his Ten Toes Africa project in collaboration with former Warriors coach Charles Mhlauri and Maningi Queens FC director Mr Gladman Dimbiri.
Chako attained 12 points in Advanced Level examinations at Glen View High 1 in Harare and will be studying towards a degree in Criminal Law.
She will also be playing football in the highly competitive US Collegiate Soccer.
The growing number of Zimbabwean female footballers on scholarship in America augurs well for the Mighty Warriors in the long run due to the competitive nature of women college football in that country.
Nigeria is one of the African nations to have benefited immensely from US college football in their women’s game and have dominated continental competitions for a long time.
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Legendary former Nigeria women national team striker Mercy Akide-Udoh, who featured at three Fifa Women’s World Cup finals and also helped the Super Falcons win three Africa Women’s Cup of Nations titles, is a product of US collegiate soccer.
Chako and Mateko, who have age on their side, can steer the Mighty Warriors to greater heights should they continue to pursue international foot careers.
Brewton-Parker College competes in the Southern States Athletic Conference and have already been impressed by midfielder Mateko, who moved to the US last year to join Kimball Union before joining Brewton-Parker University.
“Vanessa brings a lot of experience to the group. She has already played in a lot of big games over her career. Her enthusiasm, work rate and intelligence is something we are excited about,” Brewton-Parker College women’s soccer team coach Prince Borde said.
Mateko and Chako are products of Harare-based Zifa Northern Region Division One women’s side Maningi Queens FC.
