How SA football academies are getting it wrong
Football academies are seen as the youth arm of professional football teams to develop young players, but there are some things many academies are getting wrong in South Africa.
When these academies get things done the wrong way, it then hinders the progress of bringing the youngsters into the professional game.
Former Moroka Swallows, Baroka FC, and Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila [TTM] player Naeem Amoojee who recently launched his own football academy [Inter Mzansi Academy] reflected on some of the things that many SA football academies are not doing right.
At Inter Mzansi Academy, Amoojee works alongside former Kaizer Chiefs centre-forward Nicholas Mynhardt to nurture the talent of the future football stars in our beloved country.
NAEEM AMOOJEE ON SA FOOTBALL ACADEMIES
Amoojee went on to say that most of the football academies neglect the basics [foundation] of football as they go to the main point of playing football.
He also touched on the fact that the coaches focus on a few players as they are desperate to get them signed by professional clubs but forget they could be dropped at any moment.
“I started my own football academy but also with Nicholas Mynhard who was with Kaizer Chiefs. We started it mainly for the reason that we are not happy with the development of South African football,” Amoojee told FARPost.
“So, far it has been really good we had two soccer clinics. Both were very successful as we started one-on-one sessions for the boys. We want to improve football because what’s happening now in our academies is that our coaches focus on one or two talents that they can take to other clubs so they can make money.
“In turn, other boys just fall out of love with the game because they are not given that attention. Also, they are not happy anymore because maybe they are not good enough. So, our one-on-one also focuses on improving individual strength and weaknesses, and tactical awareness.”
NAEEM AMOOJEE: ‘FOOTBALL ACADEMIES ARE NOT ON BASICS AND FOUNDATION’
He continued: “For example, I just came from a one-on-one with this boy who is 17 years old. He’s good at playing football but when it comes to tactical ability like working on the basics, he’s not really good at it. This is because our academies are not working on basics. They go straight to the main point and do not work on the foundation.
“They are just putting a roof and there’s no ground floor with no foundation, and that’s the sad part.”
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