Ajax Lambda Institute
Youth development is engrained in the Ajax philosophy, yet Ajax Cape Town, with the assistance of parent club Ajax Amsterdam, took their youth focus to new and unprecedented levels in South Africa with the opening of the Ajax Lambda Institute. KICK OFF’s
Despite their relegation, Ajax Cape Town have remained true to their youth philosophy following the launch of the Ajax Lambda Institute, an unprecedented move in the country’s youth development landscape.
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018 was a year of unwelcome change for Ajax Cape Town: a change in coach and personnel at the start of the year failed to bring about a change in fortune, as – after a complex courtroom battle that dragged on for months – the Cape club was relegated to South Africa’s second-tier for the first time in their history. In a somewhat changed strip after losing their shirt sponsor, more changes were again made as the club suffered an exodus of key players following the drop to the National First Division, while once again a change in head coach was announced as the despondent Muhsin Ertugral made way for Dutchman Andries Ulderink, with the club now valiantly fighting their cause as they look to climb the First Division table. Yet amid all the changes at Ikamva, one vital aspect of the club’s philosophy remained unchanged: their commitment to youth. Launched in 1999 following the merger of Cape Town Spurs and Seven Stars while backed by Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam, Ajax Cape Town were a youth-oriented club from the onset, adopting their mother club’s approach in their commitment to nurturing the stars of tomorrow. And, as CEO Ari Efstathiou explains, Ajax had from the start already set the benchmark for all top-flight clubs in the country. “When we launched the Ajax academy in 1999, I could quite proudly say we were the pioneers for youth development in South Africa and were the first to tackle a youth academy in a professional manner, and did everything better than everyone else,” he says. “We bussed the kids in, we clothed them, fed
them, in some instances, we schooled them, and they received training from highly-qualified coaches three to four times a week as we basically taught them how to become professionals.” Countless high-profile South African footballers enjoyed tutelage of the highest quality at Ikamva, including the likes of Steven Pienaar, Thulani Serero, Thulani Hlatshwayo, Daylon Claasen and Rivaldo Coetzee, with Efstathiou proudly rattling off the academy’s impressive numbers. “In 20 years of existence, just over 800 kids have gone through the Ikamva doors in some sort of training or other,” he starts. “Most came from disadvantaged backgrounds, from crime and drug-infested neighbourhoods, and were given a chance of a lifetime to come here and try better their lives, and those of their families. “Close to 120 of these kids got an opportunity to play in the PSL, with varying levels of success. Seven of these graduated and played in Europe, and seven of them signed for Ajax Amsterdam – Steven Pienaar being our most famous graduate – with Dean Solomons and Leo Thethani being our latest to move there in 2017. Twenty four players have represented Bafana Bafana,
“WE WERE THE PIONEERS FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA.”
and close to 75 represented our junior national teams, which I feel are truly staggering statistics.” Yet with a number of clubs then replicating the Ajax model in establishing similar academies and youth set-ups of their own, the Cape club knew they had to re-invent themselves to stay ahead of the pack, as the idea of the Ajax Lambda Institute was born. “The idea of the Ajax Lambda Institute came about around three years ago, and the thinking behind it was that we wanted to be more successful,” Efstathiou explains. “We needed to do things differently, get out of the norm and see what else we could do to prepare our kids for international football.” Following lengthy discussions with Ajax Amsterdam, who agreed to financially assist the new project, building then commenced on the far corner of the Ikamva grounds and within seven months, a state-of-the-art institute was erected, which welcomed its first inhabitants – seven local teenagers from Ajax’s youth sides – midway through 2018. “The objective of the partnership was to replicate Ajax Amsterdam’s phenomenal youth academy and to give promising, young and aspiring Africans an opportunity of a lifetime,” Efstathiou continues. “The Ajax Lambda’s vision is to prepare young African talent for top European leagues.” Selected under rigorous criteria, the club used five attributes – talent, education, physicality, nutrition and mental preparation – to choose the first intake of teenage boys, who are housed on the premises from Sunday evening to after their match on a Saturday, when they are free to go home for the remainder of the weekend. In the six days per week spent at the institute, the budding footballers are fed, educated, nurtured and trained in both on and off-the-field skills to provide holistic development, with the aim of producing future international stars. “Our view was that if a child has natural talent and is given an opportunity from a young age to be properly educated, if his nutritional needs are taken care of so that he can be physically competitive and if we can mentally prepare him for competitive leagues in international football, his chances of success are that much greater,” Efstathiou says. Programmes focused on emotional intelligence, self-control, goal-setting, teamwork, self-motivation, confidencebuilding, financial planning and media training supplement the educational courses provided Generation Schools – a private schooling system the boys are enrolled in that will later enable them to enter university – while the teenagers are also expected to keep the facility clean, tender to the garden and complete homework assignments, all under the careful watch of a matron on the premises. Upon completion of phase two of the project, a total of 50 youngsters aged between 14 and 18 from not only the Western Cape, but from the rest of the country and continent will eventually be housed in the facility and receive the exact same nurturing care and development to best-prepare them for a possible future as a professional footballer. “We aim to annually promote six players, with our dream being that two or three go to Europe, preferably to Ajax Amsterdam, and the rest in the PSL,” Efstathiou says. “There is no space for failure at this academy.” Present at the institute’s official opening in November last year, PSL chairman Dr Irvin Khoza praised the club for sticking to their values and continuing with their youth focus,
“LAMBDA’S VISION IS TO PREPARE YOUNG AFRICAN TALENT FOR TOP EUROPEAN LEAGUES.”
despite their hardships in being relegated from the Absa Premiership last season. “This initiative is especially noteworthy as Ajax Cape Town is going full steam ahead at a time where common wisdom would rather they focus on bouncing back to the PSL,” Khoza said. “Ajax is however doing what few wise people would do in tough times: regroup and refocus, and remember all the practises that brought them success.” Also present on the historic day was Ajax Amsterdam CEO Edwin van der Sar, a former Ajax player himself who co-incidentally featured in goals in the first-ever match Ajax Cape Town played against parent-club Amsterdam in their inaugural encounter at Green Point Stadium two decades ago. Coming full circle in again being present at the historic opening of the Ajax Lambda Institute, Van der Sar, who amassed almost 250 games for Amsterdam in his nine-year association with the club, spoke of the important role the Cape club has in replicating the Ajax philosophy in South Africa. “It’s very important for Ajax, who are the leading club in Europe – or maybe even the world – in developing players,” he said. “Ajax Amsterdam is a great name that has had many great players come through our academy for over 50 years – that’s been our lifeline, the core of our club: developing players from all over the world. We put a lot of time, effort and dedication in developing young players and giving them opportunities – many of those opportunities are in Europe, but for the last 20 years, there have been opportunities created here in Cape Town. “In 20 years of Ajax Cape Town there’s been success and failures as well, as happens in every organisation, but here there are the facilities which is a great step forward for Ajax Cape Town, South African football and hopefully, Ajax Amsterdam.” The former Manchester United gloveman then shared a word of advice to the aspiring footballers in the institute, encouraging them to grab the opportunity they have been given with both hands. “I’ve seen many talented players in my career who, at a certain point, stopped working, stopped putting in more hours on the training ground, stopped doing the running and gym work – they lasted a few years based on talent, but did they have a full career? No. The more well-known players
work hard the whole week, even the whole year, and that’s what we expect these boys to do,” he said. “You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t have talent, but if you work hard and get everything out of it, you can become a player that can play for Ajax Cape Town, in the PSL or have a chance in Amsterdam – that’s what we’d like to see.” Ajax’s 2018 Under-18 Player of the Year Kegan Johannes was one of the first seven teenagers to be housed at the institute, and is proud to be a “pioneer” in the impressive establishment. “Ajax is a unique and top football brand worldwide, one of the reasons being the Ajax philosophy on youth development,” he said. “The seven of us are also the pioneers of the Lambda Institute in Cape Town, and each one of us is 100% dedicated and want to prove that we have what it takes to play at the highest level – we won’t disappoint.” Johannes, a talented centre-back who has already trained with the Ajax first team, is appreciative of the opportunity presented to him, and as the oldest player in the building, hopes to be an example for many others to follow. “As the oldest player in the institute, I try
to set an example for the younger players, continuously repeating that a well-rounded person is not just one or two things, but about balancing many things: education, a positive attitude, having an open mind and never thinking you know it all,” he said. “Most of this has very little to do with kicking a ball around on the field, but these are the building blocks that will support a successful football career. And the Lambda Institute is designed to do exactly that, creating a solid foundation for the long journey ahead.” With the Lambda boys in high spirits as they look forward to a successful future, the harsh reality of their club is that a challenging battle awaits as they look to bounce back to South Africa’s top-flight following last year’s relegation. Yet in opening the Lambda Institute, the club has stayed true to their core beliefs despite more pressing matters elsewhere, with owner Efstathiou laying down the challenge for other South African clubs to follow their lead. “Our commitment to youth development is beyond what any other PSL club does for youth development, and don’t forget, we’re in the NFD,” he said. “We are a population of 56 million, yet we struggle to compete in world football. The solution to the problem is on show here at Ajax. If we can do it, so can all the other PSL clubs.”
“OUR COMMITMENT TO YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IS BEYOND WHAT ANY OTHER PSL CLUB DOES.”