Young stars get chance to sizzle

Mthetho Ndoni

FORMER Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana player Patrick Mayo has endorsed the latest edition of the Spur Masidlale soccer league, launched in Motherwell on Tuesday.

This year's programme, sponsored by Spur Steak Ranches in association with the Sport and Recreation Department and the Schools Football Association (Sasfa), utilises local community coaches and teachers.

At the launch, more than 400 children aged from seven to 13 were taught different skills.

The children were selected from 10 primary schools – Empumalanga, Imbasa, Khulile, Mboniselo, Mdengentonga, Melisizwe, Redhouse, Enqileni, Enkwenkwezini and Ikhwezelihle.

Facilitator Gary Weinstein said the programme included life-skills workshops with coaches from schools.

International player Mayo attended the launch to provide encouragement through sharing personal experiences, including that success can be achieved in spite of coming from a disadvantage background.

Now the 10 schools represented will compete against each other in a league format to determine a regional winner. Mayo said at the launch that he was impressed by the talent he had seen in the region.

"These children are promising young stars and the Spur Masidlale is a great opportunity for them to showcase their talent.

"We are here to polish their football basics and in future we might see professional and Bafana Bafana players produced by this programme."

Mayo said the children were lucky to get sport development programmes such as Spur Masidlale at an early age and they should grab the opportunity with both hands.

Sasfa Nelson Mandela Bay region president Simphiwe Mkhangelwa said the programme had also produced a lot of girl soccer players in the region.

"I'm happy with the healthy partnership we have had with Spur and the programme has been successful over the past years. It is going from strength to strength every year, despite a lack of resources having made it difficult for us to spread the programme to other areas of the region."

Redhouse Primary player Lonwabo Mthongana, 12, said he was happy to be part of the group of players who had been selected from his school to attend the programme.

"I'm excited because I like soccer and I want to be a professional player after finishing school."

Aphendula Maqoma, 12, a Grade 7 pupil at Nqeleni Primary School, said he enjoyed the development clinics.

"I had a great time, especially when we were kicking the ball around.

"I want to grow up playing football."