The 2018 Nedbank Ke Yona Team Search hit the shores of East London yesterday when the Eastern Cape leg of the popular annual try-outs was held at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane.
Around 300 aspiring rising soccer talents between the ages of 18 and 23 descended on the city looking to impress this year’s team selectors, who are former Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba, former PSL coach Khabo Zondo and former Bafana player and current analyst Mike Mangena.
A whole host of games were played throughout the day, with the action getting under way at 8am, while the selectors watched from the stadium, noting players that impressed them over the day’s play.
“This is my area of expertise. I am the first coach to qualify all junior teams from U12 to U15, U17, U20 and U23,” said Mashaba.
“We went to the Olympics, we went to the U20 World Cup in Malaysia, we won the Cosafa U17 and we took the U12s to Danoon in France and won, so this is really my area of specialisation and I love being a part of these type of talent identification programmes.
“If you look at the talent that is here it is amazing and we are having a great day in East London.”
Players competed in games of 20 minutes, with 10 minutes per half – not much time to prove your worth, but players took to the field with a lot of energy as they attempted to stand out among the crowd.
“We often don’t have enough time. It is difficult to see how good players are from just one viewing, but I know these youngsters. They want to prove their worth and they will do it,” said Mashaba.
“We came with an open and enquiring mind and have been very impressed.
“We have seen no less than 10 players who have really impressed us and we are going to have another look at.
“But I always tell players that selection is unfair, because it is not all of us who will be selected, and some of the players who aren’t picked might go on to bigger things, while some of those who are picked might fall away, so it is really all about the work that you put in.”
In all nine talent identification try-outs are held in all nine provinces, with a total of 48 players from around the country selected.
Those 48 players will then attend a camp, from where the number will be cut down to 30, 25, 23, and then a final team of 16 players who will take part in the main match against the winners of the Nedbank Cup in September.
Those 16 players will then receive a trial at a PSL team.
“I am happy to see the talent here. I sometimes forget to mark down the number of a player who is impressing me because I am marvelling at the play and then have to go back and put that player down,” said Mashaba.
“There are guys here who I believe will go on to big things, and Nedbank and Ke Yona are giving them the stage to shine on.
“But when it comes down to the time to cut the squad, those are the times that we don’t like as coaches, when we have to tell a player who has worked so hard that they haven’t made the final team. It is a difficult thing to do and one we do not look forward to.
“But unfortunately we cannot take as many players as we would like and have to work with what we have, which is usually the best of the best.”
The selectors will now look at the players that have interested them at the Eastern Cape try-outs and keep them in mind until after the final try-outs are held later this year, following which they will name their group of 48 players.
Shakes looks for EL’s gems
Around 300 aspiring rising soccer talents between the ages of 18 and 23 descended on the city looking to impress this year’s team selectors, who are former Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba, former PSL coach Khabo Zondo and former Bafana player and current analyst Mike Mangena.
A whole host of games were played throughout the day, with the action getting under way at 8am, while the selectors watched from the stadium, noting players that impressed them over the day’s play.
“This is my area of expertise. I am the first coach to qualify all junior teams from U12 to U15, U17, U20 and U23,” said Mashaba.
“We went to the Olympics, we went to the U20 World Cup in Malaysia, we won the Cosafa U17 and we took the U12s to Danoon in France and won, so this is really my area of specialisation and I love being a part of these type of talent identification programmes.
“If you look at the talent that is here it is amazing and we are having a great day in East London.”
Players competed in games of 20 minutes, with 10 minutes per half – not much time to prove your worth, but players took to the field with a lot of energy as they attempted to stand out among the crowd.
“We often don’t have enough time. It is difficult to see how good players are from just one viewing, but I know these youngsters. They want to prove their worth and they will do it,” said Mashaba.
“We came with an open and enquiring mind and have been very impressed.
“We have seen no less than 10 players who have really impressed us and we are going to have another look at.
“But I always tell players that selection is unfair, because it is not all of us who will be selected, and some of the players who aren’t picked might go on to bigger things, while some of those who are picked might fall away, so it is really all about the work that you put in.”
In all nine talent identification try-outs are held in all nine provinces, with a total of 48 players from around the country selected.
Those 48 players will then attend a camp, from where the number will be cut down to 30, 25, 23, and then a final team of 16 players who will take part in the main match against the winners of the Nedbank Cup in September.
Those 16 players will then receive a trial at a PSL team.
“I am happy to see the talent here. I sometimes forget to mark down the number of a player who is impressing me because I am marvelling at the play and then have to go back and put that player down,” said Mashaba.
“There are guys here who I believe will go on to big things, and Nedbank and Ke Yona are giving them the stage to shine on.
“But when it comes down to the time to cut the squad, those are the times that we don’t like as coaches, when we have to tell a player who has worked so hard that they haven’t made the final team. It is a difficult thing to do and one we do not look forward to.
“But unfortunately we cannot take as many players as we would like and have to work with what we have, which is usually the best of the best.”
The selectors will now look at the players that have interested them at the Eastern Cape try-outs and keep them in mind until after the final try-outs are held later this year, following which they will name their group of 48 players.
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