Polokwane City player helps youth

Rising Polokwane City Football Club midfielder Sammy Seabi will stage a 16 team tournament for aspiring players from rural communities at Ga-Mamabolo sports grounds from 21 to 24 December.
The 24-year-old who has played for Mokopane Academy of Sports, Bidvest Wits juniors, Moroka Swallows juniors, Winners Park and JDR Football Club said the tournament will be his way for giving back to the community.
“I was born and raised here in Ga-Mamabolo and I am lucky to have made it to the professional ranks because many have tried and they were unsuccessful. This area has plenty of talented soccer players and they don’t have platforms to showcase their talent. We will be having football scouts from different clubs in the country from the first to the last day of the tournament.
“This is the opportunity to impress and hopefully secure contracts with some of the big teams in the Premier Soccer League,” Seabi said during the launch of the tournament in Polokwane on Saturday.
The winning team will take home a staggering R20 000 in cash and a soccer kit while the second place team will receive
R 10 000 and the team finishing in third position R7 000.
The confirmed local 16 teams are, Mongwaneng Real Cosmos, Zone 11, Porto, Liverpool, Staseng, Manchester, Ditlou, Sebaeng, PSG , Danville, Makankan, Makhuvhu Ants, Mabiloane, Medium Fighters, Letona and Hungers.
“We are looking forward to an exciting football tournament and we are urging all the football loving people to come and rally behind the teams and the players,” added Seabi.
His father, Phillip who attended the launch said he was pleased by his son’s efforts to help talented soccer players to fulfill their dreams. “I am happy for him, this is a good thing. It is seldom that young stars come up with such initiatives.”

Story and photo: Herbert Rachuene
>>herbert.observer@gmail.com