It's excitement all round for all involved as two aspiring footballers from the Western Cape get closer to realising their dream of playing at the highest level as they embark on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity trip to a pro football club in France.
The duo – 17-year-old Liqhawe Qawu and Done Poole, 16, plays for Cape Town-based Young Bafana Soccer Academy.
"Liqhawe Qawu and Done Poole from Young Bafana Soccer Academy are about to realise a dream when they jet off to France next week to French soccer club Clermont Foot who play in the topflight," confirmed Young Bafana in a statement to Soccer Laduma.
"Liqhawe and Done have been selected by Young Bafana and invited by Clermont to train with their reserve team. This invitation is a continuation of a current partnership between Clermont Foot and Young Bafana in terms of player development with the aim of producing professional footballers," reads the statement.
"For Liqhawe and Done, it will be a maiden overseas trip. The training facilities at Clermont Foot are first class, the coaches and players are top quality, and Liqhawe and Done will experience a fantastic opportunity to showcase their homegrown talents," the academy further stated.
"Young Bafana are very excited to be able to send the first two players to Clermont. The partnership will see two players making the trip between Clermont and Young Bafana for the next couple of years. The partnership opens the door to Young Bafana players to further their careers and serves as a motivation for aspiring players to work and train hard to stand in line for selection.
Young Bafana want to thank Clermont Foot for the invitation and wish Liqhawe and Done the very best of luck on this wonderful journey. They are sure to have a lot to talk about when they get back," concluded the statement.
