East Rand academy hopes to recreate SA football

Edenvale resident and football coach Luleko Dlamini is committed to developing the sport while pursuing his dream of becoming one of the youngest PSL coaches.

The 24-year-old met with the NEWS and shared what he has been busy with since the NEWS last interviewed him as a coach for Edenvale Football Club in 2017.

“There were some ups and downs but things are moving in the right direction,” said Dlamini.

After parting ways with EFC, Dlamini was contacted by Easterns High School Football Association to coach their u-17 team. In 2019, Dlamini’s team was selected to represent SA in China in the Gothia Cup China. The tournament is one of the largest football tournaments for juniors in Asia and saw Dlamini’s team compete against teams from China, Indonesia and Myanmar.

“Going overseas was something new and exhilarating, the players were all switched on and played well. “Competing in China was a new experience. We made it to the finals and brought home silverware,” said Dlamini.

Most would have expected life to have slowed when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world and SA last year, but for Dlamini 2020 was the start of something new. He said Cecil Morris, chairperson of Easterns High School Football Association and the founder of German International Soccer (GIS) Academy East Rand, contacted him.

Morris asked Dlamini to be the head of coaching staff for GIS Academy East Rand, an opportunity he could not let pass. Based in Wordsworth High School, Benoni, GIS East Rand is part of an international football academy, which collaborates with players, coaches, clubs, parents and federations to educate and develop top football players.
GIS East Rand is affiliated with the SA Football Association (Safa) regional league.

“By focusing on the technical aspects, intelligence and the physic of players, we hope to create good role models for society,” said Dlamini. “Even if a player leaves the academy or stops playing football, we want them to be able to contribute to society and their community. “We aim to develop players for life and not only football.”

He said the academy hopes to give players more exposure nationally and regionally while establishing a strong foundation. The first team Dlamini put together for the academy included some of the players who competed in China.

“The guys who competed in China in 2017 were very keen and I had maintained contact with them so when Morris asked me to put a team together I contacted the players.”

Merely days after he was contacted by Morris, Dlamini had put GIS East Rand’s first u-19 team together.

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“Once everything was finalised, we contacted Edenvale Indoor Football Arena, which had a league running at the time and joined it.” “It was rough, at first the players were a bit rusty but halfway through the league the players got their fitness back.”

Dlamini explained that although the academy was recently founded its management has plans to focus on grassroots level football and giving players a strong foundation for the sport. The academy recently formed its u-17 team and hopes to have teams for players 13 years and older from next year. Dlamini said GIS also hopes to start trials for its girls’ team next year.

“I have to thank God for everything I accomplished. I have brought silver back to SA, worked overseas, experienced so much and hope to experience much more. “I would love to be one of the youngest PSL coaches and focus on building and promoting South African football.”

Registration for the academy will cost R1 800. Dlamini said this cost will go towards purchasing the players’ kit, providing them with a nutritional plan and registering them with the Safa league. He said through the academy, players will have access to kineticists, therapist and sports management agencies.

Contact the newsroom by emailing: Marietta Lombard (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za,  or (Journalists) Busi Vilakazi busiv@caxton.co.za