Man City hosts soccer clinic in Bedfordview

This follows the announcement of the three-year partnership between the club and Mpumalanga Black Aces Football Club and Manchester City.

Corinthians is home to the Aces Football Academy and the partnership includes coaching clinics hosted by Manchester coaches.

Black Aces Football Club’s head of commercial and youth development, Andreas Christodoulou, said three more similar clinics will be held for different age groups in the next three years.

“All our players and coaches will get a chance to be part of these clinics. We started with our U/6 to U/11 teams. We wanted to start at the foundation level. Our 25 coaches will have a chance to be trained by coaches from Manchester City School of Football. During these clinics, Manchester City will deliver coaching programmes to local children, teaching them the same training techniques and philosophies used by City’s first team,” Christodoulou said.

He said the partnership made Aces Academy Manchester’s official regional school of football partner.

“In addition to local children learning how to play the City way, the Black Aces Academy coaches will also benefit from the delivery of a City Coach Education Programme and will have the opportunity to shadow City’s coaches in South Africa.

“They will also travel to Manchester, where their academy will play games against the club’s youth academy sides,” said Christodoulou.

Head of Manchester School of Football based in Abudabi, Simon Hewitt, said the deal will benefit both teams.

“We are here to share ideas. We will teach them the way English soccer is played and also learn from them in the process.

“During this clinic we have been sharing the technicality of the game with the young stars, creating the right environment for them to learn,” he said.

Hewitt said that he and his other four colleagues were working on ways to groom the players in sport and as people during this clinic.

“As we were teaching them the skills of English soccer, we had to build them personally. We had to make them learn how to make good decisions.

“We also had to build their confidence. A confident player can develop and grow,” Hewitt said.

He added that looking at the team he worked with, South Africa has a bright future in soccer.

“Aces has done a great deal by giving these children an opportunity. This is a fantastic team. These guys have zeal to push. As you know, everyone who is willing to learn has a chance to achieve. This academy is going far,” he said.

Nick Cushing, one of the five coaches from Manchester City School of Football, told the players that they need to be aware when they are in the field.

“The greatest skill a football player needs is to be aware. Be aware of other players, your team mates and the opponents. This will allow you to pace yourself or distribute the ball,” he said.

Lucas Loannides from the Greek Sporting Club and Corinthians Football Club said the first step was the merger of Mpumalanga Black Aces and Corinthians Football Club.

“Now this partnership with Manchester City will only strengthen our academy. This partnership will address the most important part of the sport, coaching. Where else could we learn from the best in the world? We should have more clinics like this for our players and coaches,” Ioannides said.