Shumba Football Development which coaches players from Alexandra and other Gauteng townships is not your ordinary run-of-the-mill soccer development academy.
It is an institution where young football lovers and aspiring future stars of the beautiful game from poor and broken families are nurtured and cared for in such a way that they develop a sense of belonging.
Shumba which is Shona for ‘lion’, was co-founded in 2012 by former Orlando Pirates stalwart and Zimbabwean icon, Engelbert Dinha. The academy’s brand manager Siyabulela Loyilane said the core function of the institution was to help aspiring footballers to roar to success.
Players at the academy gather after school for coaching at the Leeuwkop Prison grounds in Fourways. Loyilane used to be involved with the Leeuwkop Juniors team and has continued to make use of the prison grounds for the academy.
“Shumba targets disadvantaged boys from marginalised communities who cannot afford the exorbitant fees demanded by other football academies,” Loyilane said.
The academy’s involvement with the boys is not only confined to the field of play, but goes well beyond the football pitch. Shumba staff engage the boys in their studies, and also take time off from their busy schedules to visit their schools if the boys were found to be struggling academically.
“We also give the boys transport money to cover their trips to and from training, and we also provide them with meals and refreshments after sessions. “We also go out of our way to buy them uniforms, shoes and stationery,” Lyilane said.
“Our aim is to endeavour to balance these competing elements of soccer and school, so that we produce well-rounded footballers that can hold their own ground in the academic sphere once their soccer careers are over.”
Details: Siyabulela Loyilane 082 741 6116 or siyaloyilane@gmail.com or www,shumba-sports.com
