Young team’s passion pays off with league win

WORKING together as a team and practising their ball skills from when they were young.

That’s the Avengers FC team from Overport who have just won the Durban Central Football Association (DCFA) C Stream League.

While the players are only 10 years old, they have already learned the value of teamwork, having started out together on the soccer field as 4-year-olds.

Avengers FC coach Junaid Mahomed said: “They are my star team. It is so awesome to see how this team has developed and great to see kids being active, instead of sitting on the couch with a PlayStation. From 4 and 5 years old, they started learning ball skills.

“We do rotate everyone, but then you get players who are good in a certain position, which they like and they enjoy,” said Mahomed.

The U11 team were the original team when the club was founded, which has now been going for five years, and Mahomed said the focus was not on winning but on enjoyment.

And when The Independent on Saturday met some of the team at Asherville Sports Ground on Thursday, their quick skills and passion for football was obvious. Top goal scorer for the season, Yahya Moola, whose favourite team is Real Madrid, said playing soccer “keeps me healthy, fit and it’s fun”, while player of the season, Hishaam Asmal, who was described by his teammates as a “dynamite defender”, said lots of practice in the garden kept his skills sharp.

Most improved player of the year, Yaseen Mia, who plays right wing, said: “I play soccer with my brother every day.”

Zameer Haniff, in the midfield, said their toughest match of the season was against Virginia FC.

Moola’s father Muhammad said: “The first match this team played, they did so badly and then they had their first win and I think that was a catalyst. As parents we are so proud of these boys.”

Haniff’s father, Zunaid, said: “The parents support this team and when they play on a Sunday, it’s a family day out .”

Also seen at the Asherville Sports Grounds in a private coaching session was SA football legend Delron Buckley, who played for Bafana Bafana and Borussia Dortmund in Germany.

And Buckley knows all about on-field pressure – Dortmund’s home ground’s famous “yellow wall” seats 25 000 fans on one terrace alone and is often described as the best stadium in the world in which to watch a match just for the vibe. He has also played for the national side 76 times.

Buckley said: “We have talent in South Africa, but when it comes to the professional level, there are inexperienced coaches who are not given proper training and are not qualified… Our federations need to put more money into development.”

Buckley has recently returned from a visit to his former club in Germany. “You need to start from the basics,” he said. “It’s about making decisions at the right time. Young players must learn important lessons off the field, such as responsibility and that starts at home,” he said.

Buckley also opened an academy in September and does group sessions as well as one-onone training.