Lifetime opportunity for young soccer stars

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FOOTBALL NEWS - One of the biggest Premier Soccer League teams, SuperSport United, held its talent scouting trials for boys 17 years and younger for Eden at the Knysna High School sport field on 11 June.

More than 80 young hopefuls from the George, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Oudtshoorn, Mossel Bay and Hessequa local football associations (LFAs) attended.

The youngsters were given the opportunity to showcase their talent in match formation in front of the SSU football scouts - the experienced veteran Godfrey Mosoetsa, SuperSport United's head of recruitment, welfare and high performance manager; Mziwakhe Dladla, academy football administrator and Dstv Diski Challenge team manager; and Thabo September, head coach of the SuperSport United Dstv Diski Challenge team, who grew up in Knysna.

Sibusiso Maziko, who is now playing for the Tshwane-based SuperSsport United first team, left home when he was 17 to follow his football dream. With him is Zama Gagu (left) of George Herald.

From the 80 participants, only two were selected to join the SuperSport United Academy team (also known as the Dstv Diski Challenge team): Aphiwe Hece from Mossel Bay LFA and Limile Mamana from Plettenberg Bay LFA. Both will represent Eden in the final assessment in Pretoria later this year.

September said SuperSport United is one of the best outfits when it comes to talent identification and developing players for their first team.

Players such as Tebogo Moloi and Sipho Mbule have come through SuperSport United's talent developing programme. A former SuperSport United player himself, September mentioned that he was happy to be "back at home" in Knysna and it's time to give back to the communities in the Eden Region.

PHOTO GALLERY: SuperSport United scouts talent in Knysna

The next place of call for the talent search is Overberg Region in Gansbaai (17 June), the Cape Winelands Region in Paarl (18 June), Buffalo City Region in East London (25 June) and their last trip will be in Umgungundlovu in Pietermaritzburg on 9 July.

Rali Sikhokhele (left) from Plettenberg Bay chasing the ball against Adriano Oktober from Oudtshoorn.