Times Of Swaziland: IT’S E2.4M PNP BOOST FOR U-15S

IT’S E2.4M PNP BOOST FOR U-15S
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Sanele Jele on 17/02/2022 09:11:00


MBABANE – It’s kick-off time with PnP – get off the sidelines as it’s
time to shine.
The future looks bright for Eswatini football as Pick n Pay (PnP) Eswatini
yesterday launched a new partnership with the Eswatini Football Association
(EFA) for football development in the country. The partnership saw Lojaf PnP
pumping a staggering over E2.4 million towards football development by the EFA
for under-15s. A package of the first edition amounting to E807 090 was launched
yesterday at the posh Hilton Garden Inn inside the capital city. The package
will run for three years with each edition taking the over E800 000 sponsorship
in under-15s football development through a tournament called PnP/EFA U-15
Football Development Programme to focus on both boys and girls. In total, the
package after three years totals E2 421 270.
It was explained that phase one of the competition will start on April 23 and
will end on September 17. The competition will be played at currently under
renovation Somhlolo National Stadium, but almost near completion with about five
weeks estimated to be the period before its availability.  It is expected to
feature both girls and boys. According to the presentation by Nuno Xavier of
Retail Executive at Lojaf PnP, 80 teams from 10 zones will be selected. Kick-off
is expected to be April 23 until September 17, this year.
“There will be 60 boys and 20 girls clubs. The players will be picked from
where there are branches of Pick n Pay such as Mashayitafula, The Crescent, The
Gable’s, Mahhala, The Riverstone Mall, The Hub, Nhlangano, Malkerns, Mbabane
and Siteki. Each player will receive their own supplier branded soccer kits,”
said Xavier. He explained that Phase Two would take one month and would consist
of 10 leagues of 20 teams each where about 400 players were expected to be
selected for the final phase which will then be a one-day event before the
national finals to consist of 10 teams and 200 players. The first phase will run
until September whereby 1 600 players are expected.
Xavier explained that the implementation of this project will reduce the gap
within the football growth structure of the EFA, especially when it comes to
player development. Without going into detail, Xavier said the promising talent
would be awarded good prizes. Noteworthy is that the format looks similar to
that of the Build it under-15 tournament run by the EFA before COVID-19 struck
which also came with the Amazulu FC partnership that saw the shining youngsters
get an opportunity to join the South African team’s academy ranks.
Momentous
This was all before EFA President Peter ‘Samora’ Simelane and Sports,
Culture and Youth Affairs Minister Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga. The latter
excitedly welcomed the gesture by thanking PnP Eswatini and EFA for the new
partnership. He said the launch was a momentous occasion and one that had the
potential of proving to becoming a game changer and turning point for local
football. “This Pick n Pay/EFA Programme is exactly what our football has been
crying out for. It speaks directly to the need for football to create a properly
coordinated platform to discover and nurture talent among younger age groups
countrywide,” said Bulunga.
On another note, Simelane also said the sponsorship would align with their
vision of developing a fully-fledged and sustainable youth development structure
that would be the basis for talent identification. Meanwhile, the Premier League
of Eswatini (PLE) had its development leagues in the under-17 and under-20
league were due to abandon the latter for under-15s as per FIFA’s demands for
development.