Five from Giyani in U15 district team

The players were selected recently at an event in Phalaborwa from the five municipal areas in the Mopani district. According to Gezani Mashaba, head of youth football development at the GGLFA, more players from Giyani could have been included but the selectors had to balance the squad and make it inclusive of the five municipalities it represents. “The regional SAFA executives mentioned that we are the powerhouse of the Mopani district in terms of the number of talented players that we have.

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“The five players selected from Giyani could have been more, but they had to balance the squad so that it is not formed by players from one municipality,” he said. Matimba Thosi, one of the coaches that accompanied the players from Giyani, said in the past it was difficult to have even one player from Giyani selected for the regional team due to a lack of development teams in Giyani. “This is a huge achievement for us as local coaches,” he said, appealing to parents to support their children both financially and emotionally.

“The best way to motivate kids is to attend training sessions or football games to watch them play. As a parent, this is the right platform at development level,” he said. Thosi said that more has to be done to prepare the young players for the next round. “Our wish is that they are all selected to represent the province in the interprovincial tournament that will take place in Johannesburg from July 8.”