Superstars to tour Spain

Superstars Academy will tour Spain for a two-week training camp at Spanish second division club FC Malaga in October.

The academy was afforded this opportunity by Pretoria Athletic, which is in a partnership with Malaga.

“Pretoria Athletic is in partnership with Malaga and is planning a tour to Spain for their young players. I negotiated with them to allow our players to join them,” said chairperson Shan Naidoo.

“It’s a great opportunity for the boys as one of our missions is to give the players exposure both locally and internationally,” Naidoo added.

They will play friendly matches against Granada and Malaga’s junior teams.

Naidoo expressed his club’s commitment to nurturing talent and ensuring the players are exposed to high-level training programmes early in their careers.

“This is one of the steps we are taking to provide the players with opportunities to travel abroad for tours and trials.

“We have about 10 players from our side who will be a part of this tour. It’s a great opportunity to get these players exposed to overseas clubs. They will train with the Malaga Academy for two weeks while also taking part in matches.”

Also Read: Banyana midfielders join forces with Superstars

He reiterated that collaborations with international clubs are essential as playing in Europe is the goal of most footballers.

“Such valued collaborations provide a foot in the door into European countries. Even if the clubs don’t play in the premier divisions, any opportunity for a link to another country for the players to be exposed is important for us.”

The KZN Football Academy has opened the door for people like Naidoo. Its partnerships with clubs in several European countries have resulted in a number of young South African players scooping contracts with youth teams in Europe.

Naidoo told the paper that he wants his academy to be a mine of talent where players are discovered and polished to shine abroad.

“Our plan has always been to expose our talented players. Until the politics in local football change, I don’t feel there’s a future for our players.

“We want to nurture these relationships and show value to those clubs by grooming quality players they can sign or invite for training. We also would like to invite their coaches to come to South Africa for training camps or coaching clinics.

“Wherever we can forge a relationship in a country, no matter how small or big the club is, it’s about building a key contact.”

Collaboration with Boksburg FC

Naidoo revealed that they have also partnered with the Blues to help with player development.

“We are super excited with the partnership coming to fruition. We’ll probably see changes in the new season. It’s a great start. We are collaborating and joining forces for the improvement of our players.”

Also Read: Soccer-related injuries in children: What role can parents play?