What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the name Cristiano Ronaldo? Goals, cash or both? A stupid question I guess.  What of Radamel Falcao? The man who once had a more than EUR50 million buyout clause. And lastly one of the most hated yet most loved nomadic Managers in EPL at the moment Jose Mourinho. Amazing football deals. What do these iconic individuals have in common besides football? Jorge Paulo Agostinho Mendes. The super footballing agent better known simply as Jorge Mendes has Big Phil Scholari, Angel di Maria, David de Gea and Nani just to mention a few under his belt. No wonder why they call him a super-agent.

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picture credits: the gurdian

Social scouts – Turning your hobby into profit

There are people I would like to call social scouts. These are people who scout football talent for fun. When they hear of a player through the transfer rumors on BBC Sport or other media, they immediately turn their radar on. They start looking for clips on YouTube, statistics, national caps and start following the player to see if they would make the grade in their team. I have seen some players hailed by these social scouts performing to their expectations and those they despise failing to break when they move. It has made me think that these social scouts can be as good as Jorge Mendes if they had monetized their hobby. They have what it takes to look for talent right in the middle of nowhere and take it to big local clubs like Dynamos, Highlanders, Caps United and even Europe. I have seen a lot of Zimbabwean Jorge Mendes but all they fail to do is to monetize that hobby. Every football fan I challenge you.

I dare you to take this challenge head on. I know how we soccer lovers are crazy about football. I know how we can’t afford to miss a match. While you were seated with your friends in the terraces, you were playing the social scout. Since you were going to watch Dynamos play Highlanders anyway, why not watch Dynamos and Highlanders play but get paid for it at the end of the match. Why waste your scouting talents in bars and social talks than rub shoulders with football club owners like what Norman Mapeza’s younger brother is doing.

Getting started

To represent a football player in matters that involve his welfare, you need to be registered with an association of your country of origin. Thus in Zimbabwe you need to be registered with ZIFA. To be a registered agent is a profession and as such you need to pass an exam. Ironically, the exam is 90 minutes long. The exam fee is a paltry $500.00. Don’t cringe. Compare it with the return per deal then you will see what I mean. Application forms are bought at ZIFA House in Livingston Avenue. A covering letter is also attached detailing why you want to be a soccer agent and what your contribution has been to football in Zimbabwe. A tip for the qualities they look for, you have to be a man of good moral and social standing. A person who is free from convictions be they legal or social.

After passing the exam you then pay an affiliation fee with your football association which changes time to time. This affiliation fee is paid at ZIFA. The reading material for the course can be downloaded for free from the FIFA website. There is a 36 paged book on Player Agents regulations and a 52 paged manual on the Regulations and status of transfer of players. These two booklets outline the issues of player movement according to FIFA rules. This is more or less like the labor laws of football and such they need mastery.

Zimbabwe Opportunities

I generally believe that Zimbabwe is a footballing country and all we need to do as a country is to work to make sure that we are within the top 100 of the FIFA world rankings. Those who will take time to read these modules I have mentioned above will see why but I can say, it’s easier to break into European leagues if you are coming from a country within the top 100. Player movement can be within Zimbabwe, regionally or globally. The opportunities are endless. Once you are established, you can even represent players from other countries. This is not a business opportunity for many but those who see the opportunity should grab it now. You can even set up a scouting company and employee scouts who will go to schools around the country scouting for talent or you could set up an academy.