Ekstein proud of the talent at his tournament 

Last year, the tournament’s top goal-scorer Karabo Modisane went on to play for the South African National Under-17 squad.

And having seen some great talent at the competition, the former Kaizer Chiefs and Sabah FC (Azerbaijan) player believes that the competition will produce a Lionel Messi, Ekstein or Kevin de Bruyne in the future.

“This is where it starts, these are the future stars of tomorrow and we have to guide them from this young age,” said the midfielder.

“The next Ekstein, Messi or De Bruyne will come from here. So, we really have to take of these boys and let them display their skills so that they can get the exposure they deserve.”

The competition winners Recreation FC beat New Generation FC 4-2 on penalties after they were locked at 1-1. And the winning coach Refentse Molefe was ecstatic about his team walking with the first prize.

He also added that he loves what Ekstein is doing for the youth and wants to see his youngsters growing up to be like Ekstein, which is living their dream of playing football.

“Ekstein is doing a great job for the kids. And what I love about it is that they look up to him because they know where he comes from. I know that in football we all can’t make it to professional, but I would love to see some of my players graduating to higher leagues like the MultiChoice Diski Challenge,” said Molefe.

Meanwhile, Ekstein, who is now club-less after parting ways with Sabah a couple of weeks ago, thanked his community for the love and support they showed him throughout the tournament. He has also promised to add more divisions for the next edition of the competition.

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