Livhuwani Netsikulwe got his chance to play in the big leagues

POLOKWANE – The academy is based at the University of Pretoria and affords, young aspiring football players, the opportunity to be in an environment that allows them to focus on football while still getting a top-level education.

Livhuwani was selected to play for the u/18 team which made it to the quarter-finals.

“The tournament was tough and we had to play against many clubs. The final match was tight and it ended up as a draw so the game went into penalty kicks and unfortunately, that’s where we lost.”

Livhuwani adds that although the game was meant to be theirs inside the field, they had to accept defeat. “It was a good experience playing against different clubs from different countries and I learnt a lot from them. Although it wasn’t my first international cup, it felt like one due to the amount of teams which participated,” he added.

During the trip overseas, his team went on a tour where they were shown how the professional soccer players live. “During the tour, we were shown what kind of healthy foods professionals eat to maintain their sports physiques. The tour was so inspiring and I know one day I too will represent South Africa as a professional soccer player,” he concluded.

Read more about Livhuwani’s trip in this week’s Bonus Review

anne@nmgroup.co.za