Benfica to partner with Sol Plaatje Football In Kimberley

The Portuguese giants are holding a week-long training camp at the sporting fields of Sol Plaatje University to demonstrate what this partnership can offer. The Primeira Liga club's strategy is to be known as one of the most successful football academies in the world, with a solid operational model and good links in Africa. Benfica International partner representative Joáo Delgado outlines their vision. 

"Our visit is a first step for, hopefully, a three, 10-year partnership. Having a camp will show the quality of the Benfica ideology and methodology. We have professionals from the Academy of Benfica working with youngsters on soccer training, with their coaches, for coaching education. And I think that's the most important part. The first step and grow into a technical partnership, hopefully," he said. 

Sol Plaatje is one of three LFAs in Northern Cape's Francis Baard Region. The area has produced some elite players in the past, and Mzwandile Mgoma, vice-president of the LFA, says the objective is to revitalise their development ambitions through this programme. 

"What we are trying to achieve with this programme is to have our young people exposed to playing football, training sessions and even coaching methods done at international level", said Mgoma. 

"That is why we have partnerships like the LF Benfica that we are trying to formulate... that we can say we are sharing ideas of [implementing] new football methods. How we can strengthen our youngsters to be capable and able to compete at the international level. Also to start developing youngsters to prepare us as an LFA or a city to have a professional team in future," he continued. 

Funding is also a critical aspect of bringing these kinds of partnership programmes to the country and Bosco Sports and Events Management’s Managing Director Collin Bosman says they have had to rely on government support to make this happen.