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Molatedi out to assist youngsters

BRAINCHILD: Fetsi 'Chippa' Molatedi. Pic. Siphiwe Malaza. 26/09/07. © Sowetan.
BRAINCHILD: Fetsi 'Chippa' Molatedi. Pic. Siphiwe Malaza. 26/09/07. © Sowetan.

Meshack Khotha

Meshack Khotha

Hundreds of aspiring youngsters from primary schools around Soweto will benefit after the establishment of the Soweto Youth Soccer Academy.

The initiative is the brainchild of former Moroka Swallows and Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Fetsi "Chippa'' Molatedi, who is determined to help with the development of football at primary schools in the sprawling township.

He said he was offering his services to schools to train pupils and create a balance between sport and an academic life.

"The academy is an initiative that I started as a retired professional player so as to identify talent at the lower level," he said.

Some of the academy's key objectives are to establish a well-organised sporting structure for schools and to obtain the right sports facilities and equipment for schools.

The soft-spoken Molatedi said: "We will provide opportunities for sporting achievement for as many children and youth as possible, irrespective of race, gender or social class, by offering professional coaching at schools."

He has made an appeal to other former professional soccer players in Soweto, particularly those who are not working, to come on board.

He confirmed that soccer legends Trevor "Triple-K" Mthimkulu, the erstwhile Amakhosi midfielder, and Archie "Juluka'' Radebe, the former Swallows and AmaZulu player, have shown an interest in the project.

To date, only two schools have granted Molatedi permission to train their pupils. They are Khotso Primary School in Chiawelo and Diodi Primary School from Mapetla.

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