Fulham FC starlet impresses Amajimbos head coach Vela Khumalo

During the recent national U17 men’s team international friendlies against Lesotho, Amajimbos had two players based in Europe.

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Khai Vally, born in England and plays for Fulham juniors, played in the second game, where Amajimbos won 3-1.

Llewelyn Vally is Khai’s father; he’s been based in England for 20 years and shares the joy of seeing his son turning out for the rainbow nation.

“My son plays for Fulham FC under-15, yes we got invited to come here for the camp and he really enjoyed it. First of all, we came here to my country of birth and to let him experience football over side. He can gain a lot of experience from a kind of football and cultural experience. The style of play here is very different from the UK, a lot of space awareness, ball control and moving players around, he enjoyed it over here,'' said  Vally.

Vally is only 14 and plays just behind the strikers in the no.10 role.

His father says he will also fit in the next U15 and U17 projects that SAFA is busy putting together.

''He's only 14, he will only turn 15 in October. There's talk for him to come in to play in the under-15 training camp, we would like for him to bounce in two age groups. At the end of the day it is such a great experience for him. Football is not a sprint it is a journey, if he can take something from this experience to England, then I am a happy father. 

It is second to none, they are well looked after, they train four times a week, they get to play against top teams in England. Fulham is a fantastic family oriented club, great for development. Kai could have signed with a different club but we chose Fulham,'' added Vally.

Another overseas-based player who got a run during the recent break was Samuel Salminen.

He is based in Finland and was adopted by Finnish parents and moved to Europe at the age of five. The Diepkloof-born midfielder also played in the second game against Lesotho, and his father, Riku Salmninen, accompanied him as he returned to SA for the first time.

''So we adopted Samuel when he was very young and raised him in Finland. SAFA discovered him three years ago, and last Autumn they sent messages and we followed up and came here to meet the technical staff. Yes he was born in Soweto, and it is meaningful for him to play here,'' said Salminen.

Salminen Senior says his son plays for one of the top club’s juniors in Finland and says he enjoyed the experience of playing for SA for the first time in the two-week camp.

 Amajimbos head coach Vela Khumalo is busy preparing the team for the COSAFA U17 championships in December, which will also be zonal qualifiers for next year’s U17 AFCON.