A PSL legend has picked out two youth players who impressed him at the 2024 Engen Knockout Challenge in Cape Town.
Former Cape Town Spurs centre-back Clayton Daniels attended the three-day tournament in Belhar this past weekend and has been sharing his thoughts on what he observed with Soccer Laduma.
The 39-year-old, who previously starred for SuperSport United and Mamelodi Sundowns in South Africa, said he was impressed by Spurs' captain, Donovan Davids, and Stellenbosch forward Jay-Dee Marang, who was named the Striker of the Tournament. Daniels also discussed Stellies' second successive triumph, which he puts down to the team's togetherness.
On Davids…
The Cape Town Spurs captain in midfield… just the way he controlled the game, the tempo of the game. It's a tournament and everyone is going up and down very fast, but just the way he conducted himself in the midfield, the range of passing that he has… it's unbelievable. I see this player as a really bright one for the future and it won't be long that we see him in a PSL team or at the next level. A very exciting player. He also has good qualities as a leader. I see him carrying the water bottles after the game, he is picking up his players when they are down.
On Stellenbosch winning again and Jay-Dee Marang…
It's not based on individuals. You can't really mention on individual who is a cut above the rest. I think everyone is on the same level, everyone is performing at a higher level and that's why the group is strong. Every player in each position. If I look at that Stellenbosch, the centre-back, the No.4… really, really good. He had a great tournament for me, he played all the games. If I look at the No. 11 in midfield, a left-footed player, consistency with his performances and then the striker of the tournament, Jay-Dee Marang. Also, really exciting. In the tournament, it's not only one player that performs really well. It's maybe four or five players that go above themselves. And even the goalkeeper, clean sheets all tournament! They went to two penalty shootouts and he made three or four saves. You can see right through the spine of the Stellenbosch team. I think they just had that team dynamic where they don't rely on one player, because in the final, Jay-Dee didn't even play. He got two yellow cards and then he got injured. You can see it even in the first team, it's the same dynamic. It's always about the group and not about individuals. I think that's the secret behind their success.
On Stellenbosch getting it right at youth level being key for the future of the club…
One hundred perfect, one hundred percent! You know what happened at Ajax many years ago, when we were young players playing in the development. We were moulded in the same system (as the first team) and that prepared us. We were training the same things as the first team, we were training at a higher level and the same programme filtered right through and that's why, when we come to the first team, it's so easy for us to play at the highest level in the PSL. I think Stellenbosch is doing the same thing now. You will see them competing for cups, they will be in the top five every season from now on.
