Former Chippa United and Bloemfontein Celtic striker Lerato Manzini has been working tirelessly since launching the Welkom Academy and has already started securing top opposition for the boys.
Manzini launched his academy in Welkom, with the aim of unearthing talent from in and around the city. It's still early days, but he is already making an impact in the lives of the youngsters who are one day hoping to become professionals.
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In February, his young players had a friendly match against the DStv Diski Challenge team of Chippa United. They travelled to Eastern Cape for the match and he is determined to get more top opposition to help his young players grow.
"Playing against these teams is motivation for these boys. This is for them to see how hard they need to work to reach that level and to also rub shoulders with the players because some of them may think it's not possible to reach that level. Speaking to them is not enough, so that's why I took the initiative to drive and get opposition from a professional level, especially from the boys from Welkom who come from tough backgrounds," Manzini said to Soccer Laduma.
"Getting such games is for their personal growth and for the teams we play against to see them closeby and to really understand where these boys come from. At the moment, we have under 16, 17 and 19s. The under-19s are mixed with under-21s. We are still negotiating games with some of the people."
Manzini started the project without sponsorship and his passion for unearthing top talent is what's driving him at the moment. With time, he is hoping the academy can get sufficient support to help accommodate players from different parts of the country.
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"What will happen in due course is getting accommodation, schools and some of them relocating to Welkom permanently. This will come as we go along. At the moment, I told the players that we have what we should start with the football because that's what comes first and the rest can come later," Manzini said.
"I am really pushing. I want to be someone who can change the lives of the boys in a way that they never imagined. It's been three months, but we've already played against a PSL team. There is still a long way to go for us. I am getting a lot of calls from people who want to bring their kids."
