The minute success or stardom is reached – especially from an early age – it is quite easy to forget the actual role players and support structure that played a pivotal role in a player’s journey.
This is exactly why credit should be given where it is due. Hence, reference should especially be made to youth tournaments where young players, still wet behind their ears, are given the platform and opportunity to take their very first steps to bigger things and possibly to fulfil their life-long dreams and ambitions.
Let’s face it, not all will make it big-time, but those who do end up at top academies continue to get an opportunity to carve out their future careers with great admiration as the best infrastructure and resources are found at academies which assist and fast track their development – this is very much understandable and should be the normal progression for young talent.
But for academies to get the necessary recognition and praise and all of a sudden being the primary reasons, which happens frequently, is so far from the truth.
Alas! The prestigious Kapstadt Cup, that has been running for 12 years, is definitely one of those platforms and youth tournaments that can truly stake claim and prove the contrary, as it has given rise for aspiring local footballers – male or female – to become house-hold names from an early age already – long before academies even knew these players existed.
In fact, it is at tournaments like the Kapstadt Cup where academy scouts and coaches from top clubs come to do their shopping.
So, here’s a reminder of those players it has assisted over the years in becoming young stars at their respective academies and clubs. Cape Town Spurs’ quartet of Luke Baartman, Faiez Abrahams (originally from Valhala United), Dhakir Lee (formerly with Kenpark United) and Shuaib Martin (when still on Milano United’s books in back 2017), were given a platform at the Kapstadt Cup to be spotted and be moved onto bigger and better things.
Let’s not forget the Meadowridge duo of Jarred Hendricks and Gabriel Amato who bedazzled the crowd at a young age with their skills at the event first held in Mowbray only.
So too did Katlego Malabena from Mamelodi Sundowns who stole the show in 2021 playing in the boys’ under-12 section, got the tongues wagging. Needless to say, Malabena is definitely a future Banyana Banyana star player.
These were some of the history and reminders noted by Zaid Omar, tournament director of Kapstadt Cup at their recent launch and draw which took place on Thursday evening at the new TSIBA Business School in Ndabeni.
The launch was attended by all clubs including stakeholders from the Cape Town Tygerberg LFA, the South African Football Association (Safa) and the City of Cape Town.
“FC Kapstadt remains committed to grassroots football through this event and our annual club programs, countless professional footballers were first identified at the Kapstadt Cup at a young age. In 2019 Faiz Abrahams at Cape Town Spurs was under-14
Player of the Tournament.
“Many years ago, a very young Gabriel Amato now at Cape Town City, was under-9 player of the tournament. The tournament didn’t make them, but it created a platform to inspire the youth, make dreams a reality and an opportunity to showcase your talent in a tough competition. There is no development without competition,” Omar added.
