Trials discover Durban’s soccer talent

THE fourth regional trial for this year’s Shield Sbonis’ iDiski, was held on Saturday at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).

The trials were led by Shield coaches and former Bafana Bafana player Siphiwe Mkhonza, along with Orlando Pirates Development coaches and football legend, Mark Fish.

Shield Sbonis’iDiski has brought together two football giants Chelsea FC and Orlando Pirates FC in a partnership to scout for the best football talent South Africa has to offer. The past weekend was a chance for aspiring football players in Durban to get a shot at being discovered. The purpose of the Shield Sbonis’ iDiski is to give young aspiring football players a platform to showcase their talent and expose them to international football training to strengthen soccer development in South Africa.

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The Durban trials are the fourth leg of the regional trials which started in Johannesburg on 4 May. The pressure was on for Durban players to exceed expectations of the coaches as last year’s winner Quade Roskruge emerged from the UKZN soccer grounds. As the Shield Sbonis’ iDiski regional trials intensify, the talent was quite evident on the ground, however the Shield Sbonis’ iDiski coaches are looking for much more than that.

“We are looking for players who are prepared and have the confidence to deliver and perform under pressure. Our mission is to aid the players with life skills, technical training and leadership skills to be ready to train with Chelsea FC and better their chance to be absorbed into the Orlando Pirates Development team,” said Shield Sbonis’iDiski head coach Siphiwe Mkhonza.

“We have seen players impress the coaches across the regions, at this point we know South Africa is full of talent. Our aim as Shield is to bridge the gap between, grass roots football and professional football both locally and internationally,” said Gareth Marshall, Shield brand manager at Unilever South Africa.

The trials continue across the country with the last leg of the trials taking place in Pretoria on 9 June. Players will be selected from the regional trials to attend the finals week, where three players will be chosen to travel to London and train with Chelsea Football Club. Once these three players return from London, one of them stands a chance be given a one-year contract with Orlando Pirates FC development team to continue a career in football.

To be part of the journey, join and follow the conversation using the hashtag #MoveWithShield and the social pages: @Shield_ZA, @ShieldZA, ShieldZA.

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