Even if Young Bafana fail to lift silverware this season, one thing is beyond dispute: the Strand-based academy is in safe hands!
For years, Bernardo Steinado’s club has provided youngsters from the Helderberg and surrounding communities with a platform to chase their football dreams. The results speak for themselves.
Players such as Mirsab Adams, Dean Scharrighuisen and Cohan Daniels all earned trials with French outfit Claremont Foot 63 a couple of seasons ago, while Eyona Ndondo and Asanda Dyani progressed into the professional ranks with clubs like Kaizer Chiefs and Cape Town City.
While the academy continued to flourish, the same could not always be said of the senior side.
Since winning the ABC Motsepe League title under Ashraf Calvert in 2022, Young Bafana have spent more time fighting for survival than competing for honours. Coaches Carlos Manuel, Bradley Barnes, Siza Gola and Msekeli Mvalo all attempted to reverse the decline, but none of them could manage to restore the club’s competitive edge.
Then came Rezaan Jacobs.
The former Bayview FC and Grassy Park United mentor arrived with a proven track record of success, having guided Bayview to Coke Cup glory in 2018 and Grassy Park United’s Under-18 side to Bayhill Premier Cup success in 2023.
More importantly, he arrived with a winning mentality. The 41-year-old Jacobs has transformed a side that was looking over its shoulder into one capable of challenging near the top of Stream A. With four wins, three draws and just one defeat from eight matches, Young Bafana find themselves in the mix alongside fellow former champions FN Rangers and Hanover Park FC.
One of their biggest strengths has been their ability to collect points away from home. Their emphatic 3-0 win on the road this past weekend was further proof that Jacobs has found a formula capable of turning the former champions into genuine contenders once again.
His players look confident, organised and committed. Those are the hallmarks of a side that believes it belongs among the division’s elite.
After years of huffing and puffing in the shadows of their 2022 triumph, Young Bafana finally appear to be moving forward with purpose. And if Jacobs can maintain this momentum, the rest of Stream A may soon discover that the sleeping giant from Strand has truly awakened.
