New football academy plants a seed
ALEXANDRA – A new football academy has been set up at MC Weiler Primary School and hopes to churn out new football stars for Alexandra.
From humble beginnings to greater heights is the development doctrine that embodies the newly established Sidlal’Idiski Sports Academy at MC Weiler Primary School.
Mogomotsi Mabena founded the academy along with former Alex football player of the now defunct
Long Horn Football Club and Alex Maids Football Club, Pule Tladi.
Mabena, a former U15 development coach for Kaizer Chiefs, better known in football circles as Doctor, said the academy was started in November last year and has so far attracted 20 children, 18 of whom are boys and two girls.
Doctor said girls who wanted to play football were hard to come by in Alexandra and the crowded township of close to a million people had only two women’s football teams, those being Bluebirds Football Academy and Alex Ladies Football Club.
“We’re still looking for many more young girls aged between four and 10 years to beef up our free academy which not only develops the football side of the children but also takes care of their health and well-being on and off the pitch, including the educational aspect which plays a fundamental role in the development and future of the children,” Doctor said.
He added that the objective of the academy was to target the children at an early and critical stage of their development, four to 10 years old, which he said was often neglected as most academies preferred to take children in from the age of 15 upwards.
“We’re hoping to form various age group squads that will be registered with Alex football and can compete against their counterparts in the local league and elsewhere in the Safa Johannesburg Region’s inter-local football association tournaments,” Doctor said.
The academy was a registered non-profit organisation and has the blessing of the South African Football Association, although shunned by the local Alex football controlling body, the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association.
Although they were still looking for funders, Doctor said the academy was in partnership with Adidas, the Sports Trust and MC Weiler Primary School.
Details: Doctor Mabena 076 309 7319 or Pule Tladi 076 221 4889 or ramoabim75@gmail.com
