The Linksfield-based Mpumalanga Black Aces Football Academy is set to continue its relationship with Manchester City Football Club.
The Black Aces Football Academy, which most its players come from the nearby township of Alexandra, will once again host the coaching team from the Manchester City School of Football, continuing their successful coaching programme which was initiated in 2013. This week will see the return of the coaches following a successful trip by the Black Aces U13’s Academy and coaches to the Manchester City Academy two weeks ago, where they underwent high intensity coaching and mentoring.
This year’s coaching team from Manchester City will be made up of Andy Smith, Jonny Marsh, Chris McCarthy, Alan Dixon, Lewis Childs and Simon Hewitt and will be led by the head of Manchester City School of Football, Gavin Rhodes.
“We are delighted about how our relationship with Black Aces is progressing. This visit concludes year one of our three-year agreement with Black Aces,” Rhodes said and added: “We are looking to cement our relationship by continuing our player and coach development programme with the club for years to come.”
This year’s programme has been extended from three to six days and will see two three-day clinics taking place. The programme started on 31 March and will run until 6 April at the Greek Sporting Club in Linksfield.
Aces legends have been tasked with selecting a group of highly talented U15 and U17 footballers from the greater eMalahleni region, to join the coaching clinics in Johannesburg and they hope to nurture them with world-class skills.
“I am thrilled that we have this amazing opportunity to help develop young South African players. Through this programme we are hoping to nurture and give our players the skills to become world-class players that will one day play overseas,” said Mpumalanga Black Aces co-chairman and CEO Mario Morfou.
“We hope to see this partnership with Manchester City School of Football grow from strength to strength in years to come and it would be my dream to see a youngster developed through this initiative play for Manchester City in the near future.”
