Velocity captain Mathews share his love for soccer

Netheem Mathews writes:

I come from a family that loves football. Since I was born, I have been kicking a ball. I have great memories of family gatherings when big games were being aired on TV. I soon discovered that I possess a great skill and talent to play football from attending Ajax football clinics to joining various football clubs.

Football promotes teamwork, freedom, creativity and sharing. It teaches you to ‘think on the run’, helps to increase skills in concentration, persistence and self-discipline. It is a great way to meet people and exercise with friends. I love the opportunities that football provides, especially for our youth – health, self-esteem, friendships and most importantly, a passion for life – it is more than a sport, it’s a lifestyle.

My biggest dream is to play football internationally, and I’m working really hard to achieve this for my future. I see myself developing my skills in an international club and ultimately playing in the big leagues in the next five years.

I look up to Christiano Ronaldo. He possesses great dedication to the game, works really hard and has great passion for football.

In South Africa we lack development from a young age to develop skills that will enhance talent into phenomenal players. There are no real opportunities and the benefits awarded are not setting you up for your future financially. If there was concentration from a young age, our standard of football will increase. There is not much exposure in terms of the media; I don’t see any development in rural areas or school football.

The standard internationally is so high; we as SA have a long way to go in order to get there. You will find that a player who is 23 years old in SA cannot even be compared to a 16-year-old international player. Unless you find an opportunity to play football overseas, there is no real future for a football player in SA.

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