Nkosinathi Ononogbu will hold the third annual football tournament of the Winter Games later this month as he continues his dream of helping out hopeful youngsters who want to be professional footballers.
The four-day competition consisting of 16 teams will run from 16 to 19 June at Kopanong Sports Ground.
“This competition aims to give boys from the hood an opportunity to be seen and scouted by teams. We got a lot of talent in South Africa that needs exposure. I’m sure the boys will get a chance through competitions like these,” Ononogbu told FARPost.
“This time around, it will be different because we have more scouts and sponsors. It will be easy for the competition to take off as planned, unlike in previous years where we used to have one or two scouts present at the tournament.”
“There is a lot at stake here; champions will walk away with R15 000 cash prize and a soccer kit, the runners up will bag R6 000 and a soccer kit.”
The Black Eagles player revealed measures they will use to ensure that there is no age cheating in the competition.
“Age cheating is a serious issue we face in African football that should be dealt with immediately. This is strictly an Under 23 competition. We have notified the participating teams about the requirements – every player should bring an ID or a valid passport. The aim is to ensure that the competition is fair to everyone.”
