A Johannesburg-based academy, Kagiso Sports School of Excellence (KSSE), has signed a landmark partnership with Chilean Liga de Primera club O’Higgins Fútbol Club. Following a week-long strategic visit to the club’s high-performance centre, Monasterio Celeste, KSSE chairman Kagiso Nkoana detailed a future that could see South African youngsters trading the streets of Gauteng for the pitch at Estadio El Teniente.
The partnership, initially agreed in December 2025, was finalised this week when Nkoana met with O’Higgins’ senior management, including the club’s new owner, Matías Ahumada. The primary objective is to prepare KSSE players to meet the rigorous standards of Chilean football, providing a direct pipeline to professional contracts abroad.
“The opportunity for our boys to find themselves abroad is very alive now. They just have to push themselves, show commitment, and strike the balance between football and academics,” Nkoana told FARPost from Chile.
Nkoana, whose players have featured in previous editions of the Pirates Cup, said his observation was that in the Chilean system, training intensity is regarded even more highly than match days, a philosophy he intends to bring back to South Africa.
FIVE KSSE PLAYERS CHILE-BOUND IN AUGUST
O’Higgins’ Head of Sports, Fernando Vergara and the club’s chief scout have already requested five standout players from KSSE to travel to Rancagua this coming August. The selected group will undergo a two-week trial to secure professional contracts. The Chilean side has provided specific age and position profiles, ensuring that the South African prospects fill strategic gaps in their developmental rosters.
Nkoana’s itinerary offered a deep dive into the infrastructure of a club that won its first top-flight championship in 2013 and the Supercopa de Chile in 2014. On arrival, Nkoana had a high-level lunch with first-team players and coaching staff. The following day, he watched youth league matches from U8 to U20. He has praised the “high intensity” and technical parity between the boys’ and ladies’ divisions.
On his third and fourth days, he was exposed to the club’s training methodologies used by the first-team staff.
On his sixth day, he visited the club president’s office and later held a formal media briefing at the stadium to announce the partnership to the Chilean public.
“I haven’t seen a club with such high development standards,” Nkoana marvelled.
A NEW ERA FOR KSSE
To align with the Chilean model, KSSE is undergoing a structural overhaul. The academy will now implement age categories ranging from U8 to U19, alongside a specialised ladies’ program for players aged 15 and below.
In a bid to uncover the next generation of stars, KSSE will soon initiate public trials, advertised via their social media platforms. The initiative aims to provide a “lifetime experience” for aspiring players across the region, regardless of background.
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