Nike's 'The Chance' to host trials in Cape Town

Nike South Africa will be hosting trials for ‘The Chance’ in Cape Town on 16th June at Langa Community Stadium, Bitterhout Street, Langa and on 17th June at the Saxon Rovers Football Club, Royal Road in Maitland. The trials kicked off in Johannesburg two weeks ago and will seek to get a total of 48 players from around the country, who will go for the final South African trials to be held in July in Johannesburg, where only 3 players will be selected for Barcelona.

Young footballers between the ages of 16 – 21 years interested in attending the Cape Town trials in either Langa on Saturday, June 16th or Maitland on Sunday, June 17th should sms their ID number to 45829 to register. The trials, which are not open to footballers signed with any professional football club, coincide with the celebration of June as Youth Month in South Africa.

Legendary football coach Johan Neeskens, and professional footballer Benni McCarthy will be the official local scouts, assisted by some of the best known names in local football circles in Shaun Bartlett, Craig Roslee, Tebogo Moloi and Arthur Zwane. Neeskens, head coach of Mamelodi Sundowns FC, and McCarthy, who is the all-time-top-goal scorer for the South African national soccer team, will be tasked with identifying the top three players who demonstrate unparalleled talent and determination to participate in the global event in Barcelona in August.

At this year’s launch of ‘The Chance’, coach Neeskens said the youngsters need to realise that opportunities like these don’t always come and that they should grab it with both hands if they’re lucky enough to get it. “I sincerely hope the youngsters are not driven by the financial rewards of playing football but are first and foremost motivated by the pure enjoyment of playing the game. There is a lot of talent in South Africa and I’m certain the three boys that are ultimately selected will represent the country well and excel,” added Neeskens.

The nationwide search will see an estimated 5,000 young, aspiring footballers show off their skill, in the hope of making the shortlist of 48 players to take part at the Johannesburg finals. The Chance’ 2012 is a unique global football talent search that gives young amateur, unsigned footballers from around the world an opportunity to prove themselves on an elite stage and take their game to the highest level. South African goalkeeper, Reyaad Pieterse, who won a ‘one-in-eight' spots in The Chance 2011, and joined the Nike Academy in the UK, recently signed a professional contract with Ireland-based Shamrock Rovers FC.

Created to support talented youngsters who are not currently in the professional game, ‘The Chance’ will allow the best young footballers to train and play at the leading facilities in world football, showcase their skills in front of elite coaches and mentors, as they develop and improve their talent, with the ultimate aim of getting noticed.

Players from 55 countries around the world will take part in ‘The Chance’ trials in 2012. The best 100 players from these trials, watched by top Nike coaches, will then travel to the global finals in Spain, to be held at FC Barcelona’s famed youth academy. There, they will experience world class facilities, topnotch coaching, and input from nutritionists, psychologists and fitness conditioners as they progress in the programme.

The best 16 footballers from the global finals will be chosen by Nike to experience the ultimate training tour as their reward; facing some of the most renowned academy teams in world football, including Manchester United, Juventus FC and a U.S. Youth National Team during a once-in-a-lifetime four week tour.

From this group of 16 players, four players will be selected to train and play with the Nike Academy, now in its second year in partnership with the Premier League, based in the United Kingdom. This will form the last leg of the tour. One player will join the Nike Academy 2012/13 full time for two months and play with the team to showcase their talent to professional scouts and coaches. 

Players will live the life of an elite footballer and train at the best facilities under the watchful eyes of club coaches and scouts - a golden chance to get noticed and potentially win a professional contract.