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After Orlando Pirates legend Steve Lekoelea was roped in by Monty Sports International as their Head of Scouting, Soccer Laduma caught up with the man behind the agency, Monty Sekoele. I got to rub shoulders with the guys I grew up watching on TV. It was dream for me at that time.
My first training was with the senior team. The coach back then was Ted Dumitru. I got an opportunity to play with the likes of Daniel Mambush Mudau, Charles Motlogi, Sipho Nunens, Colen Makhanya, who is the current academy manager at Sundowns.
The likes of Joel 'Fire Masilela, Michael Manzini. I eventually joined the reserve side, because they didn't sign me for the first team. For me the opportunity to train with those guys was a big surprise and feedback the coaches got from Ted Dumitru made me take football seriously.
That's when Sundowns were starting to dominate the PSL, when they won three league titles in a row. You can imagine the quality at the club back then. For me to play with those guys was a dream come true.
After I left Sundowns, remember that's when Barclays started to partner with Absa. So there was an invitation for South African players to represent the country in the Barclays tournament in the UK in 2008. It was players selected from all the provinces and I was selected.
"I got to experience international football. For me to play at St. James Park was something I never dreamt of.
To see those teams on TV and then got to be there, was a great experience and it opened doors for me. So while I was playing for Sundowns reserves, during the off-season I used to train with other academies, like SuperSport United. I used to train with them and when I was about to sign contracts, I couldn't understand the legalities.
So I had the idea of having an agent. If back then I had an agent, it was going to be easier to get into the professional setup. As time went on I wanted to address challenges that young players had, having the talent but unable to reach full potential because they don't have an agent.
Many talented players got lost in the system due to not having an agent. It's easier for me now to relate to players. Steve Lekoelea is one of the players I grew up admiring.
I thought partnering with him would enhance our football, he's knowledgeable about the game. He has played for all the junior and senior national teams, he was the darling of SA football, having played for a bigger clubs like Orlando Pirates. He shares the experience and knowledge, especially when we recruit boys from an early age.
He's very passionate about youth development and has a great eye for talent. He has spotted many players before they turned professional. Even to this day he's still playing.
We had our first talent identification event last weekend in Mpumalanga, at Vaalbank Stadium and our next leg of the project will include some of the teams from overseas, where players in our setup will be able to be in a shop window for international scouts. Watch this space, something great is coming, especially in partnership with Lekoelea. For me information, people can follow Monty Sports International Facebook page and also my LinkedIn page, Monty Sekoele.
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