Siphelele Nketo
A BID to expose young footballers of Matatiele to the professional football environment was recently welcomed. This was after a group of U19 and U21 footballers, mostly from rural areas, travelled to KuGompo City (East London) from June 12-14 to participate in a football match against Chippa United FC.
This was an initiative to provide the young players with a valuable platform to showcase their football skills against more experienced footballers.
The three-day trip did not highlight the importance of investing in youth development, however, it created opportunities for the aspiring footballers. One of the young footballers in Ward 20 was Akhona Mkholokotho who thanked the organisers for the opportunity and called for the continuation of the initiative. Aphiwe Mnyapha from the rural village of Motsekoa said that the initiative helped footballers to learn more football techniques.
The Matatiele Local Municipality said that this was a memorable occasion to celebrate football and promote unity and community development. The municipality said that beyond action on the field, the event brought together technical teams, municipal officials, football administrators and passionate supporters from both Matatiele and Chippa United.
The municipality appreciated Chippa United FC and all participating players, coaches, officials, supporters and stakeholders who contributed to making the event a success.
“The mayoral cup continues to serve as an important platform for youth empowerment, talent identification and community cohesion through sport,” said Mzwamandla Nyembezi, the municipality’s Good Governance and Special Programme Unit portfolio head.
