Belgium’s reigning champions, Royal Union Saint Gilloise’s head of coaching and methodology, Shawn Bishop, along with Arsenal scout Andrew Moschini, will headline the line-up for the second edition of SM Sports Consulting’s symposium next weekend.
The event promises an exciting lineup of speakers. SM Consulting hosted its inaugural two-day symposium in October 2024 at Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. The second edition is scheduled for July 26-27 at the University of Pretoria.
The timing coincides with several recent changes in the careers of some of the speakers. When initially announced, Bishop was still serving as head of methodology at Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League. He is now working for Royal Union SG, the 2024/25 Belgian top-flight champions.
Kwanele Kopo has joined Pretoria University’s AmaTuks, the hosts of this year’s tournament. Sinesipho Mali, the mastermind behind the initiative, recently made a significant move by joining Chippa United as their sporting director.
Interestingly, Mamelodi Sundowns’ duo of revered performance analyst Tinashe Mukandatsama and Goolam Valodia, head of performance analysis, recently returned from the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
Brendon Fourie, head of recruitment at Stellenbosch FC, Kaizer Chiefs’ head of scouting, Tera Maliwa, FIFA high-performance specialist Abdul Faisal Chibsah and Muhsin Ertugral make up this star-studded lineup.
>Mali, the founder of SM Sports Consulting, believes that the diverse lineup of speakers lends the event an international perspective on key trends that attendees need to understand.
WHAT SINESIPHO MALI SAID ABOUT THE SYMPOSIUM LINE-UP
“The most interesting aspect is that there are numerous changes,” the Bafana Bafana head tactical analyst, Mali, told FARPost. “You have someone like Shawn, who now has a different profile in Belgium. Kwanele Kopo is now the head coach of the hosting university. It’s a mixture of international speakers with vast experience in each of those topics.”
He believes that the experiences of someone like Bishop, who has worked in South Africa, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, and now Belgium, are crucial for gaining valuable insights.
“We also have individuals like Goolam and Tinashe. They recently came from the FIFA Club World Cup, providing practical experience to the analysts who will be there. They’re also the CAF Champions League finalists.”
Attendees will also be exposed to how a club like Arsenal scouts for talent through the English Premier League’s Global Player ID Lead, Moschini.
Mali and Maliwa will simulate a professional boardroom setting with maverick administrator Senzo Mbatha. In this scenario, Mbatha will assume the role of CEO or sporting director, while Mali will act as the analyst, and Maliwa will act as the scout.
“Tera and I will share information about a player to illustrate how top-level decisions are made, highlighting that these choices are driven by strategic thinking rather than emotion,” Mali said.
The registration fee for the event is R5000. It includes access to symposium sessions, meals, presentations, materials, and an official certificate of attendance. The first day will feature a focus on performance analysis, moderated by Mali, while the second day will concentrate on technical scouting and be moderated by Maliwa.
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