I vividly remember my introductions to Michael Jenkins, co-founder of Ubuntu Cape Town FC shortly after acquiring the First Division status of the FC Cape Town in 2017.
Along with his native American partner Casey Prince the duo shared their vision and plans for the academy who back then only had Ajax Cape Town to ‘compete’ with.
Truth be told that I had my reservations as I knew all too well that the football landscape in Cape Town was and still is a very cut-throat industry – especially for foreign coaches.
Needless to say, the landscape has evolved significantly since then with additional academy’s such as Cape Town City and Stellenbosch FC who also came into existence.
So, to attract the best young talent in Cape Town was going to be more challenging especially with academies that had professional teams and Ubuntu didn’t after their NFD side was relegated to the ABC Motsepe League in 2019.
But credit to Ubuntu for sticking to their guns. Yes, they did not have a professional outfit for the academy’s youngsters to aspire to but they have remained true to their word and their mission of providing a platform and opportunities for young talent to grow and shine, hence they are still flourishing a decade later.
Academy players such as Luke Fleurs is a classic example of the calibre of talent they produce. After spending his entire youth career at the academy, he was snapped up by Super Sport United where he spent five seasons before Kaizer Chiefs poached him this season.
So, too, can Stellenbosch FC’s trio of Antonio Van Wyk, Kyle Jurgens and Prince Amponsah testify how the academy is transforming their lives and careers – and there are many others as well.
The former also featured in Stellies’ victory in the Carling Black Label Cup against TS Galaxy over the weekend while Jurgens and Amponsah were part of the squad.
Ubuntu’s past successes in local and national tournaments have also earned them the respect of the Cape’s football fraternity.
They were the first academy from the Mother City to conquer the Engen Knockout Challenge’s Champ of Champs in 2019 where they showed the rest of the country what their academy is all about.
“Yeah, Engen locally was a big deal,” Prince further explained. “Winning the Champ of Champs was another milestone. This is another, but different milestone, as this is a school’s competition and at a younger age group,” he added.
So, very few can argue that Ubuntu is more than just a football club as it has, at its roots, a mission to transform the lives of kids seeking a purpose and guidance in life through the beautiful game.
The academy’s most recent success at the CAF African Schools championships where they represented South Africa with great aplomb, just underlines that.
“This achievement is another milestone of winning something on the continental stage. But ultimately, it’s always about the holistic development of these young men,” said Casey, who doubles up as a football coach and a life skills mentor. “Them getting to travel abroad, navigate difficult circumstances, building resilience, and having a lot of fun while doing it.
According to Casey they are excited to measure themselves in the CAF competition in 2025 where his troops will play all the other Zonal Winners in March.
“That will be really tough competition but it is another challenge we’re looking forward to,” Casey added.
With Ubuntu’s impressive track record and hunger for success, one wouldn’t put it past them to replicate their feat in 2025!
