Zaheen selected for Mamelodi Sundowns academy

Zaheen Casey, a grade 5 pupil at Sacred Heart College, was selected to join the U/13 Soccer Academy at Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club.

Zaheen was invited to the trials by ex-Bafana Bafana and Chiefs’ footballer, Lovers Mohlala. Lovers watched Zaheen in a league match and saw potential.

Zaheen went through the initial trials at the age of nine and proceeded to the final trials at the age of 10 for the U/13 team, where he will be part of the South African Football Association (Safa) Academy League in 2015.

The young lad has shown a keen interest in soccer from the time he could walk. He has a strict and structured training routine, which runs from Monday to Friday every week.

Shane Fourie, from Westbury, has been Zaheen’s coach since the age of eight. A lot of Zaheen’s development is credited to Fourie.

Other coaches involved in his development are Aadil Patel from Fordsburg, David Sham from BSS Randburg, Jorge Perreira from the BSS Bedfordview and SuperSport U/11 Academy.

“Zaheen is a naturally skilful and a talented football player with the potential to play at the highest level in the future. The fact that he can play with both his feet equally well sets him apart from the other boys in his age group. With discipline, commitment and the right guidance, he can become South Africa’s Lionel Messi,” said Andre van der Merwe, the head of the sports department at Sacred Heart Primary School.

@JoziReporter