It is just right to give credit where credit is due!
The recent success of Stellenbosch FC cannot stand in isolation – nor did all this success just happen overnight.
Two seasoned coaches – the Brazilian José Cabral and the Cape soccer legend Boebie Solomons have played a major part in the rise of Stellenbosch FC.
So too does Ilhaam Groenewald, Chief Director of Sport at the Stellenbosch University, deserve credit for her vision to grow the academy’s football.
Cabral was responsible for roping in Solomons to assist him at the Academy in 2019 and turning them into a powerhouse.
Solomons was also employed by the Stellenbosch FC and the university as a joint venture to weave his magic.
The irony to the success of Stellenbosch’s Academy however, is that the two individuals, Cabral and Solomons, are no longer with the Academy.
Needless to say, shortly after Stellies’ under-18 squad lifted the Engen Champs of Champs trophy after beating Mamelodi Sundowns on penalties, Cabral sent a text to Solomons.
”Hello Boebie, SFC won the Engen this afternoon. In my opinion, you have a big part in it,” Cabral’s message read.
Solomons replied: ” Hi Jose. We laid the foundation for the whole Academy.”
Together the duo masterminded a formula that would transform the Academy from ”whipping boys” to national champions in a very short period of time.
Driven by their common passion for coaching and developing young footballers, Solomons and Cabral work tirelessly behind the scenes putting the necessary structures in place.
”They could not even play from the back,” Solomons recalls. ”Even the PSL teams were playing kicking football. We changed all that.
”We educated the coaches, ran workshops and coaching courses and in under two years we closed the gap on all the academies that were in existence for over 15 years,” Solomons pointed out.
To show that the achievement of Stellies’ under-18’s in the Engen Knockout challenge was no fluke, their under-16’s also got the better of Sundowns in the Kapstadt Cup over the weekend at Hartleyvale to once again prove that Stellies has become the new powerhouse of football, locally and nationally.
Last year the under-16’s also won the Bayview FC tournament humbling Cape Town Spurs in the final. A year prior the same division won their first title at the Kapstadt Cup tournament, while the under-21’s also walked away with the title at this event.
The modest Cabral said: “Yes, it is really great to see how the academy has been transformed and developed into something so successful. Boebie is the one that did an amazing job – he is a master!”, the Brazilian added.
