MAMELODI Sundowns president Patrice Motsepe has called for schools in black residential areas to be converted into centres of excellence to fast-track development.

MAMELODI Sundowns president Patrice Motsepe has called for schools in black residential areas to be converted into centres of excellence to fast-track development.

Motsepe said the centres would help produce quality players to represent SA. The mining mogul said soccer officials should emulate their rugby counterparts, who have turned schools in the suburbs into centres of excellence.

He was speaking at the launch of the R30million Sanlam Kay Motsepe School Cup in Sandton yesterday, which was attended by leaders in soccer, business, education and the churches.

The winning school in this SA Schools Football Association-organised tourney will pocket R1million, with the runners-up getting R600000.

Also present was Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, who urged South Africans to support the 2010 Fifa World Cup and Bafana Bafana.

Zwelithini appealed to the boys taking part in the event to respect elders, adding that opportunities must also be created for girls as part of the new community development projects.

Motsepe said: "If you go to every school where they play rugby, there is a centre of excellence. We need to do this with soccer.

"We are using this tournament to produce excellent soccer players, those who will qualify for the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil and make us proud."