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The future of African soccer is about to be permanently altered following the unveiling of the inaugural Africa United U19 Cup last week. Launched by project owners BRM Consulting, the tournament is set to take place in Johannesburg and will level the playing field by giving Mzansi’s promising soccer talent more access to elite development and international scouting opportunities.
The matches will take place from 10 to 17 December, and the venues will be confirmed in due course.
Why the initiative was launched
The launch follows the victory of the young South African soccer talent who were selected by Africa United to compete against some of Europe’s top tier young players at the U19 Madrid Elite Cup in Spain.
After advancing to the finals, the South African team faced Albacete Balompié in a gruelling match that ended with the former’s victory in a penalty shootout.
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Africa United founder and director Bob Richard, said: “Africa United was created to address a long-standing gap in African football development: many talented young players have limited access to structured, high-performance environments and international scouting platforms.”
At the tournament in December, South Africa’s most promising under-19 footballers will be identified and through collaboration with leading European talent-identification and player-development specialists, these youngsters will be given the opportunity to international exposure as well as development.
What this means for promising African soccer talent
There is no question about the availability of soccer talent in Africa. Europe being the world leader in this sport positions these young people to benefit a lot from the structures, exposure and professional environment that they need to compete on the global stage.
Richard said that initiatives such as these international tournaments help to create pathways for young players to showcase their abilities against top-level opposition.
Velile Ramphele whose son Leruo was part of the squad that played in Spain, commended the development programme for his son’s tremendous progress since joining.
He said the opportunity had exposed Leruo to a different and higher level of competition, helping to shape and prepare him for the future in the sport.
“The players will also receive life-skills education and exposure to professional football standards, ensuring their holistic development both on and off the field,” Richard concluded.
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