Real Betis Academy Zimbabwe has brought in its first set of foreigners after signing Brazilian midfielder Bernardo Ribeiro and Ghanaian wing back Patrick Oshiah.

The players, both aged 18, signed long term development contracts.

The football academy’s chairman, Gerald Sibanda, confirmed the news and explained how this will open up a chance for the pair to break into professional leagues.

He told Soccer24: “We have Bernardo from Brazil and Patrick from Ghana.

“With Betis being in Zimbabwe, it means they (the players) believe that this is a gateway for them to break into professional football in Europe.

“So, there’s no better way to find that pathway than through a La Liga club’s academy.”

The Betis chairman added: “It’s also good news to our football because if these players fail to move to Europe, they end us joining local clubs.

“And some Premier Soccer League clubs may want to assess these kind of players as soon as they arrive or maybe sign them for a season or so.”

The Real Betis Academy Zimbabwe was opened last year in October. The project is the first in Africa for the club and has two branches in Harare and Bulawayo.