Stellenbosch FC DDC youngster secures scholarship in USA
A Stellenbosch FC DStv Diski Challenge [DDC] youngster has secured a scholarship in a top university in the United States of America [USA].
The Cape Winelands outfit has become a talent factory, consistently developing players and exporting them to clubs both locally and overseas.
Among the players who left Stellenbosch FC for international clubs are Olwethu Makhanya, who moved to Philadelphia Union in the MLS in 2023, and Antonio van Wyk, who joined Austrian side SV Ried last year.
Now, the DDC team goalkeeper David Passman will jet out to the USA in August after securing a “student athlete” scholarship in an institution yet to be revealed.
Passman joined the Stellenbosch DDC team two seasons ago after graduating from the club’s U-19s. Last year, he was instrumental in their DDC title and Premier League Next Gen tournament successes.
Speaking exclusively to this website, Stellies DDC coach Evangelos Vellios said Passman’s impressive reserve league and Next Gen footage helped secure the scholarship.
STELLIES COACH EVANGELOS VELLIOS REFLECTS ON DAVID PASSMAN’S JOURNEY
“When we gave him an opportunity, physically he wasn’t ready as a goalkeeper, but we put him through our system, and trained him every day, and he later started to train around the first team goalkeeper Dejan [Ah Shene],” said Vellios, speaking to FARPost.
“And while Dejan is the keeper that we’re investing in for the future, I spoke to David and asked him what his plans were for the future.
“He said he would love to experience maybe student football abroad, and he made some applications to see if there were doors that could open in the USA, but he didn’t have enough footage, and he hadn’t played at a level high enough that it would open the doors at the time.
“So I just said to him, like, just keep working hard, maybe you’ll get opportunities. And he did [work hard], he helped us win the league last season, played about six games, and he was big for us.
“And [he] went to the [Premier League] Next Gen [tournament] and played one game. He saved the penalty against Crystal Palace to give us the win in that game. And with all that footage and everything that he gathered, he was able to re-apply and was offered a scholarship.
“But I don’t have the name of the institution right now.”
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