Safa sights on women talent hunt

THE much-anticipated clash between the SAB League selected team and Safa U21 side has been postponed, after the SA Football Association decided to prioritise its women football talent identification programme.

Safa provincial secretary Isaac Klaas said the game, which was scheduled to be played at the Walter Sisulu University (WSU) campus in Butterworth tomorrow, would not take place.

“The postponement is regrettable, however we had to postpone in order to ensure our resources are channelled to the women football talent identification programme to be held at the Dumpy Adams Stadium in Queenstown on the same date,” he said.

He said the team were selected from the SAB League and lower leagues including the LFA leagues.

“The team will participate in the Safa SAB League National Championship to be held at the end of July in Beaufort West [Western Cape].

“Only players born on or after January 1 1996 may participate in the tournament.

“This was the rule applied for the cutoff date during the season for U21 players,” added Klaas.

He said there would not be any cash prizes or other incentives for the matchwinners but the opportunity to showcase their talents.

“We don’t pay players at any stage for their participation in our selection programmes,” he said.

“This is their opportunity to showcase their talent for selection to the national U23 team.”

Klaas said scouts from many teams would be in attendance during the week-long tournament. He said their team once won the tournament in 2010, and were finalists in 2011.

He said they needed to reclaim their position as winners, hence they would ensure that only the best players and quality technical staff were selected.

“The message is simple, it is to let them know there is talent locally. These players need to be taken seriously as well and be allowed to play in higher leagues and contribute to the well-being of their families and communities,” said Klaas.