Copa Coca Cola stars shine on international stage
Two South African youngsters will be embarking on an experience of a lifetime when they join over 100 footballing teens at the 2015 Copa Coca Cola International Camp.
COCA Cola has once again provided a platform for aspiring professional footballers to showcase their talent at an international level.
Thanks to their football development initiative, Copa Coca Cola, two South African youngsters will be embarking on an experience of a lifetime when they join over 100 footballing teens from around the world at the 2015 Copa Coca Cola International Camp in Germany from July 26 to 31.
Now in its twenty-seventh year, Copa Coca Cola unites football-loving teens in every continent, promoting an active lifestyle and encouraging values that are the foundations of life and sportsmanship. The two South African teenagers have been invited alongside young players from 27 other countries to attend the camp.
The six-day trip to Berlin will be packed with training sessions, workshops, games, events and coaching and guidance from members of Germany’s 2014 FIFA World Cup winning football team.
The two boys who will be rubbing shoulders with other young talents are Notha Ngcobo and Mokhethi Pali. The players competed through a series of regional rounds to participate in a national championship before being selected for the global tournament. Ngcobo and Pali caught the eye of the selectors at the Copa Coca Cola national finals in 2014.
Ngcobo is currently part of the Mamelodi Sundowns development system. He is no stranger to success, having been part of the South African side that competed at the 2015 African u.17 Championships in Niger where he and his team picked up a silver medal.
The 16-year old Ngcobo idolises Real Madrid fullback Marcelo Vieira da Silva Junior and hopes to one day play for one of the European giants.
The left-footed striker, Mokhethi Pali, played a crucial role for his team in their 2014 Copa Coca Cola provincial title win by netting the winning goal against Retshidisitswe Secondary School.
Highlights of the Copa Coca Cola camp will include training sessions with Hansi Flick, the assistant coach of the 2014 FIFA World Cup winning German national team, and daily challenges in the grounds of the prestigious Lindow Sports Academy. Footballing teens will have the opportunity to learn tips and tricks from other inspiring coaches and players including 2014 FIFA World Cup winner, Benedikt Höwedes, and 1990 FIFA World Cup winner Pierre Littbarski.
