If you want to produce exceptional Bafana stars‚ you have to start at age 5 or 6: Amajita coach.

Amajita coach Thabo Senong.
Image: BackPagePix

Amajita coach Thabo Senong says the only way for South Africa to produce footballers exceptionally talented enough to compete at the highest level is to get them into academies from as early as five or six years old.

Senong takes the South African U20 national team to their African Nations Cup third round‚ second leg qualifier against Malawi on Saturday‚ where they must score to have a chance of making it to the continental tournament in Niger next year.

Amajita and Malawi played to a 0-0 draw in the first leg last weekend in Moruleng‚ outside Rustenburg.

Senong said South Africa can only produce young players of the quality of Kylian Mbappé of France‚ Gabriel Jesus of Brazil and Marcus Rashford of England through early development.

By Mahlatse Mphahlele.

Full story at Sowetan Live.