2016 / 2017 has been one of the most successful seasons at the Academy and the football programme has definitely been the flagship. This is against the background of our coaches coming of age and been given an opportunity to showcase their growth and technical development after they have learned from working in partnership with Coaches from the John Cruyff Foundation.
We have seen the number of teams also expanding from only two (2) teams (U/17 and U/21 Post Matric Boys) in 2011 to the current number of seven (7) teams (U/13; U/15; U/17; U/19; M.Tigers and MDC as well as the Ladies Team). The programme also had two (2) Satellites in Atteridgeville and Mamelodi and now they are ten (10) the club has added Diepsloot; Pretoria City Centre; Soshanguve; Tembisa; Westbury; Vaalbank in Mpumalanga; Makau and Rustenburg, respectively.
The Academy Staff has also increased from seventeen (17) employees to the current number of twenty seven (27) and that is excluding the Scouts.
The programme also saw the development and growth of our boys physically; technically; tactically; psychologically and socially especially those that has been in the Academy in the last three (3) to four (4)years and this has culminated in International success as the U/17 boys won the U/17 International Football Tournament in China.
Our boys in the MDC Team won the 2016/2017 MDC League and went on to lift the inaugural MultiChoice International Tournament in Holland
We also saw individual boys breaking into the Youth National Teams and having the privilege and honour to represent the country in the most prestigious Youth Football Tournaments in the World, the U/17 FIFA World Cup and U/20 FIFA World Cup.
The success continues with some of these boys receiving Call-Ups for Senior Men’s National Team, Bafana – Bafana to play in the CHAN Tournament qualifiers. The success has no ending as four (4) boys are part of the U/19 National Team Squad that is going to play in the U/19 London International Tournament in London (30th of August to the 4th of September 2017).
The biggest highlight of this period is the promotion of five (5) Academy boys to the Senior Team of the club and they are: Thendo Mukumelo; Keletso Makgalwa; Malebogo Modise; Siphesihle Mkhize and Khulekani Kubheka. The journey continues as we are looking forward to increase this number during the January Football window period.
