Celta set to open an academy in SA

La Liga Executive Director Oscar Mayo has confirmed to SABC Sport that Celta Vigo is working on opening the academy in South Africa (SA).

Just few weeks after Espanyol became the first Spanish La Liga club to open a football academy in Africa, former Bafana Bafana striker, Benni McCarthy™s former club Celta Vigo is following suit in SA, where they would target the African talent and develop them from there.

Mayo, confirmed this at their headquarters in Madrid, he said œAfrica is the important Market

œWe are growing football. We are working with the clubs to work in this international strategy.

We push the clubs to come with us for a market like this, something (you say) like Espanyol but we can™t mention further but they open the academy in Africa as well said Mayo.

This move also forms part of the plans by La Liga of not only enjoying the eyeballs in terms of viewership from the African continent but also helping to develop football in its entirety there, according to Mayo.

œWe want to continue to develop football I said that, I mentioned it in the past.

We working with the clubs close to the people (and), companies and institutions in all Africa it™s going to give us opportunity to continue and this is what is happening and we expect to continue Mayo went on.

#OnThisDay ???? pic.twitter.com/vv43E6V9lp— RC Celta English (@RCCeltaEN) May 4, 2022

Celta Vigo™s General Director Antonio Chaves revealed venturing into the African continent is one of their priorities, says their Sporting Director Luis Campos who is remembered for having transformed French Ligue 1 clubs Monaco FC and Lille FC has noted the African market as priority number one.

œRegarding the talent in Africa, I don™t know if you know that we have Louis Campos, he is our Sport Director, he is a very prestigious person he always speaks about Africa, always always¦.he said in our teams for several reason we should have always have two or three African players Chaves explained

Celta Vigo is the club that introduced McCarthy to the UEFA Champions League in the early 2000™s before he went on to win it with Portuguese club FC Porto in 2004. There™s also been a strong hint that Celta could work closely with their legend on the programmes in SA.

By Velile Mnyandu