Dutch club shares its soccer expertise with aspiring Alex footballers
ALEXANDRA - Players and their technical staff from Holland’s ADO Den Haag, one of the oldest Dutch clubs, descended on Alexandra’s Number 3 Square Grounds to impart some of their soccer skills to aspiring footballers in the township.
Players and technical staff of ADO Den Haag, one of the oldest Dutch football clubs, descended on Alexandra’s Number 3 Square Grounds to impart some of their soccer skills to aspiring footballers in the township.
They had just completed a hectic schedule in the Future Champions Gauteng International U17 Tournament, but still found time to participate in the soccer coaching clinic organised by the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association.
ADO Den Haag’s youth development co-ordinator, Paul van Lith said they were delighted to be offered yet another opportunity to share their skills and football knowledge with young, talented and aspiring footballers.
Besides sharing their soccer skills, Van Lith said they had donated 24 bags of soccer kits comprising socks, shirts and shorts to various organisations in Gauteng. Two of those bags and 15 soccer balls were given to Alex football association.
On the chances of holding another coaching session next year, Van Lith said if they were invited to participate in the tournament again, they would gladly come back to Alexandra for yet another coaching stint.
President of Alex football, Maisha Molepo welcomed the Dutch guests and said, “Dutch football is on the rise worldwide and everybody is clamouring to learn a thing or two from the Dutch type of player that has made them a winning soccer nation, and we too in Alexandra thought we could also tap into their fountain of football skills.
“South African football is also on the rise as shown by three local clubs reaching the semi-finals of Future Champions tournament, which was won by Italian club Torino who beat SuperSport United on penalties to bag the trophy.”
He thanked the Soweto Local Football Association for hooking them up with the Dutch club and Harry Letsoalo of the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation for their sponsorship of the clinic. “We hope one day we will be able to get some of our players and coaches on a plane to Holland to go hone their skills there.”
