In the 74th episode of the Arena Sports Show, presenter Clauiee Grace Mpanza and regular guest Mahlatse Mphahlele are joined by coach Thabo Senong to talk about youth development and his work at Fifa.
The episode starts with a discussion with Honor brand manager Talent Mukandatsama, who talks about their involvement with Bafana Bafana, the South Africa U-20 team and the Bulls.
Then it turns to football, where Senong, based in Malawi as a Fifa talent coach, speaks about the importance of starting football development with players from the age of six.
He says if players are exposed to quality coaching from an early age they will peak at about 17 and 18 years old and that will increase their chances of moving to clubs abroad early.
As SA U-20 coach, Senong steered Amajita to two U-20 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and coached the team at the Fifa U-20 World Cup in Poland. He says there is an abundance of talent in South Africa that needs to be discovered.
He emphasises the importance of young South African players moving overseas and some, such as Relebohile Mofokeng of Orlando Pirates, going to the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco with Bafana Bafana in December and January.
He urges players in coach Molefi Ntseki's local-based Bafana squad, most of whom are clubless, to take advantage of the opportunity to represent the country at the African Nations Championship co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in August.
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