Be yourself, talent search hopeful advises

“BE yourself and don’t try to imitate someone else,” is the advice of Platinum Stars defender Thamsanqa Gwabeni to young soccer players who will be taking part in this year’s Nedbank KeYona Team Search.

The trials will take place tomorrow from 8am to 5pm at the Wolfson Stadium in Kwazakhele.

The former Lion City player, from Motherwell, was among the 18 players who graduated from the KeYona search in 2015.

He was picked to join Dikwena for a month and then landed himself a three-year contract with Stars.

The 23-year-old made his debut for the Rustenburg-based team during the Nedbank Cup last-32 fixture against Cape Town side Steenberg United FC last season.

“What motivated me to enter the Nedbank search was the fact that there were a few PSL players who also come through this competition,” Gwabeni said.

“I saw an opportunity and I went for it. I had nothing to lose.

“To those soccer players who will be making their way to the Wolfson Stadium [tomorrow], just be yourself.

“You must make sure that your fitness level is on point because the training sessions are intense.

“You just need to be confident and play your own style of football and not try to be someone else.”

The player said being a Nedbank KeYona graduate had opened many doors for him and had taken his football career to a higher level.

“How things are done in the KeYona Team Search is similar to the Premier Soccer League – everything is done on a professional level.

“I am now a PSL player and I am also able to help out at home financially because of the competition.”

The Port Elizabeth trials follow three successful tryouts in Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Cape Town last month.

Coaches Owen da Gama, Mike Mangena, Shakes Mashaba and Khabo Zondo continue their journey to identify, develop and ultimately deliver their selection of the best raw footballing talent Mzansi has to offer.

The lucky players who make it to the next round of the talent search will be part of a boot camp where they will undergo a number of phases as part of the competition.

The final 18 will be drafted into PSL teams after playing at the KeYona Challenge against the 2017 Nedbank Cup winners.