Since its
inception in 2000, the under-12 Danone Nations Cup soccer tournament has
produced many players that have gone on to compete for top PSL and
international clubs and some have gone on to be member of various national
teams.
A player that is
destined be one of the tournament’s success stories is Xolani Muleya.
This 13-year old, who competed for Benny’s Sports Development Academy at the
Danone Nations Cup world finals in 2016, was called up to the SA national
under-17 team in December to compete against Lesotho.
Xolani made a massive
difference to the team that went to France for the world finals where he showed
his versatility by playing defence, midfield and striker. His performance
caught the attention of other countries who rated him highly as a future star.
He believes the Danone
Nations Cup contributed greatly to his growth in soccer. He started out as a
shy and quiet boy. He was tall and awkward then and felt out of place. It
was the Danone representatives that spoke to him and told him to be proud of
his height and strength and to go out onto the field in France and be
himself. This gave him the confidence he needed to show what he was
capable of and this, he believes, contributed to him getting selected for the
under-17 National Team.
When he was informed
by the school that he had been selected to attend a national camp with two
other players Sibusiso Ndimande and Innocent Khwerana, he couldn’t believe it
at first. He was the youngest player in the squad.
“It was great to get
an opportunity to represent my country,” he said. “I’m happy I can make my
father Fortune Ndlovu proud. He is my role model. My father attends all my
matches, no matter how far he has to travel. Seeing him in the stands
helps with my confidence and enables me to play better.”
Benny’s school
principal, Nqobile Nfiade believes the Danone Nations Cup changed Xolani in
many ways. He is more confident and can talk to other learners now. His
academics have improved as well.”.
The atmosphere was
vibrant at the school after they announced that Xolani and the two other
players were selected for the under-17 national team. “It’s a huge achievement
for the school and that wouldn’t have happened if they didn’t win the trip to
France.”
He hopes that many
soccer players will look at Xolani’s journey and see that anything is possible
and that they can also make their dreams come true. “I believe that we will see
Xolani playing in the PSL and for Bafana Bafana one day.”
In the meantime,
Benny’s have begun their preparations for the 2018 Danone Nations Cup. Coach
Mbishi Mokwena is disappointed that they never made the provincial finals last
year, although he wasn’t the coach then.
“I’m happy that my
mentor Justice Matloga, who owns Greenway Academy, won the provincial final as
coach of Haggai Independent Combined School,” he said. “I learned a lot from
him. Not many schools can win the Danone Nations Cup tournament in their first
year of entering.”
Mbishi believes the
tournament has opened doors for players across the country and he is glad that
he was able to produce a star like Xolani Muleya.
Mbishi believes that
the Danone Nation Cup is a great platform to expose these young players to
international soccer and give them a vision of what their future can look like.
Schools can register for the competition by contacting the
national coordinator at the SA Schools Football Association (SASFA), Themba
Tshabalala, on 011 403 2844, 084 290 0602 or 072 588 4957.
Alternatively, they can visit the Danone Nations Cup South Africa Facebook page
or go to www.facebook.com/dncsouthafrica
to download the necessary documents. (Documents are always on Danone.co.za
also)
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