Stardom beckons for Ke Yona Team players

Stardom beckons for the players of Ke Yona Team which is set to clash with the Phefeni glamour boys, Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Attridgeville on 2 February.

The team was assembled by the bank as one of its corporate social investment programmes to unearth talent in the rural areas of the country.

“We wanted to unearth the talent for the big guns and ensure that we uplift and transform the lives of ordinary people in those remote corners of our country where such programmes and projects hardly filter through,” said Sydney Mbhele of the bank.

Addressing a press conference to introduce the Ke Yona Team players to the media at the Premier Soccer League offices in Parktown, Mbhele said most of the players in the team have already been snapped up by teams in the premier league.

Without wanting to put the cart before the horse, Mbhele said he would not disclose which teams have already signed more than half of the 23 players. “We would like the players to first enjoy their stardom status playing against Chiefs on Sunday and then we can announce those already signed at a later stage.”

Captain of the Ke Yona Team, Collen Mashawa from Diepsloot said they were eager to play against their heroes, Kaizer Chiefs. “We eagerly await the opportunity to play against them,” said Mashawa, who is nicknamed Baggio after the famous Italian player. “My team-mates are hungry to win and show the more glamorous club a thing or two about football.”