Five teens secure Orlando Pirates deal
Jamal Malinzi, President, Tanzania Football Federation (TFF)
What you need to know:
Malinzi says the deal was reached thanks to a close relationship between the TFF and Orlando Pirates chairman Khoza who also doubles as the vice president of the Safa
Dar es Salaam. Five U-15 Tanzanian footballers have their dreams accomplished after securing a chance to join an academy owned by South African Premier League giants, Orlando Pirates.
The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) president, Jamal Malinzi, said the quintet will leave for South Africa on August 29. Malinzi named the youngsters as Assad Ali Juma, Maziku Amani, Issa Abdi, Kelvin Deogratius and Athuman Maulid. “It is a milestone for Tanzania football. The five will certainly receive the best training at Orlando Pirates and that will benefit the country in the near future,” said the president.
“They will also be enrolled in South African schools for academic learning for as long as they stay in South Africa.”
According to Malinzi, the deal was reached thanks to a close relationship between the TFF and the Orlando Pirates chairman, Irvin Khoza who doubles as the vice president of the South Africa Football Association (Safa).
“We (TFF) have good understanding with the Orlando Pirates chairman and this deal could not have been struck had it not been for our relationship,” he added.
The quintet will feature in the Orlando Pirates squad that will compete at the South Africa’s Multichoice sponsored Youth Championship planned to kick off on September 5.
Malinzi said the deal with the South African outfit was part of their strategic plan of building a formidable youth team for the 2017 CAF Youth Championship, which will take place in Madagascar.
“This is just the first phase of what we intend to do. We will continue looking for scholarships in other countries with the view to building a strong youth side for the 2017 finals,” he explained.
“It is our belief that the squad, which will feature at the 2017 finals will successfully graduate into the senior team, Taifa Stars two year later.”
Malinzi hopes that should the youngsters progress smoothly, Tanzania will have a formidable squad that will compete at the 2019 Africa cup of Nations scheduled for Cameroon.
“We wish them the best of luck as they embark on a soccer journey; it’s our hope that they will embrace professionalism. We believe with a strengthened Taifa Stars, we can qualify for the 2026 World Cup finals,” he said.
Meanwhile; the TFF yesterday announced 20 talented teens who will join Mwanza’s Alliance Academy.
Some of the players are Jaffer Juma, Morris Michael, Jonathan Rafael, Karim Mfaume, Eric Buyaga, Shaban Kimwaga, Feisal Awadh, Abdulatif Noor, Edmund Godfrey, Adam Seleman and Seleman Juma.
