Limpopo talent boost for Bafana Bafana
COO of Polokwane City FC Tincy Tema, said they are happy to be represented by star player Oswin Reagan Appollis at the tournament.
POLOKWANE – Six players from Limpopo played a pivotal role in ensuring that Bafana Bafana qualify for the semi-finals of the African Cup of Nations after 15 years.
Evidence Makgopa, Gant Kekana, Veli Mothwa, Aubrey Modiba, Sydney Mobbie and Khuliso Mudau were instrumental in the national team’s success.
These players were born and bred in various areas in the province and regularly feature at their local clubs.
Mokgopa and Modiba were discovered by their teams at local soccer tournaments held in Polokwane and Mankweng in the past years.
Percy Motloutsi, a soccer coach from Seshego says the sizable number of players from the province in the national team is a clear indication of good soccer development structures and talent identification programmes in the province.
“Credit should go to all the development coaches who scouted, identified and molded these players. Most of these players were discovered in local soccer tournaments and have been consistent. The message to the second division teams and professional teams in the province is that they must not go outside the province to look for talent because we have talented players in the province. Four of these six players in the national teams are regulars in the national team. We just need to take our youth structures more seriously so that we can continue producing more talent.”
COO of Polokwane City FC Tincy Tema, said they are happy to be represented by star player Oswin Reagan Appollis at the tournament.
Appollis is the only player from City to be chosen by the national team coach Hugo Broos.
“We are happy for him and all the players from the province who are in the national team. He is a humble boy. He will come back to the club with valuable experience gained from the tournament. We are also happy as a province to have six players from this region in the national team. Their inclusion in the national team says the door is open to other players who have aspirations of playing for Bafana Bafana. We have a lot of talented players from the province and all they need is a chance to prove themselves.”
