New soccer team needs help to get on its feet

“I have a football development based in Allandale Extension 12 (President Park) with age groups of U9, U11, U13, U15 and U17; all divisions have more or less 22 players each.”

The one-year-old team has no home ground yet, however this has not dampened their spirits. They’ve competed in tournaments such as the 2012 and 2013 Jomo Cosmos annual tournaments and in games organised by the Midrand Local Football Association.

“We are currently training in two different places, one in Kaalfontein near Yaruna Shopping Centre and second at a pitch [soon to be their permanent home] at President Park, not far from Miriam Makeba Girls’ Home but the place is still under construction. We practise from 4pm to 6pm every day,” said Dunn, coach of the NkuliSA Football Development team and assistant warehouse controller at StonCor Africa.

The team has no real facilities – they meet and practise where they can, or as Dunn puts it, there are “a bunch of winners, wannabe super stars, but with a lack of facilities”.

The areas in which the team practise are cleaned by members of the community, but they are not adequate for them to host matches as they haven’t got soccer poles. This is one of many things they need help with. “[We are in need] of soccer balls, kits, training facilities and transportation to and from games as we travel a lot, but the most important issue to address is the need for soccer poles for our new football pitch, so that we can have home games too. We are strictly asking for anything relating to football but not cash,” said the coach.

“Our aim is to create a safe environment for our kids and protect them from drugs, alcohol and crime and, by extension, teenage pregnancy,” said Dunn.