New soccer academy hopes to unearth and improve local talent
Manqoba Mseleku, a former Orlando Pirates and Cape Town All Stars player and Black Leopards Diski team coach, is the director of the newly established, Mango Soccer academy.
LIMPOPO – The days that local youth need to move to Gauteng to further their soccer careers, are numbered. A new soccer academy, Mango Soccer Academy, recently opened in Louis Trichardt and hopes to unearth and improve local soccer talent.
Manqoba Mseleku, a former Orlando Pirates and Cape Town All Stars player and Black Leopards Diski team coach, is the director of the academy.
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He said the academy partnered with Ridgeway College in Louis Trichardt, so that their players can train at the college every day. They have teams who play friendlies in the u/10, u/14, u/15, u/17 and u/19 divisions.
Mseleku said one of the academy’s objectives is to produce players who can play at a national level, as he reiterated that they are serious about producing future soccer stars. He explained the academy started last year with the idea to identify young boys from across the country and give them an opportunity to learn life skills and receive soccer training.
“I have worked in the sports development field for many years,” added Mseleku who said he would like to see one of their players play for one of our top local clubs. We want to see local teams benefit from the excellent talent at the academy. I had a dream of using new ways to empower young people and turn them into great sportsmen. Those ideas, infused with hard work and determination, are bearing fruits.”
Mseleku said they will maximise the use of the equipment and facilities available to them, and that they will soon start a grassroots programme.
“We are tasked with rolling out a variety of football development and life skills initiatives. The first objective will be to develop squads for boys from the age of six. I realised that a soccer career is very short and that many have had hard times after being in the limelight and leading a life of glamour. With education, one is secure for life and has something to fall back on,” he said.
Mseleku added they train at 15:00 and that interested parents are welcome to bring their children. For more info, contact him on 078 658 6967 or 071 372 8058.
