A local scout has rated four players who caught the eye at the 2024 Engen Knockout Challenge in KZN this past weekend.
Speaking to Soccer Laduma this week, AmaZulu U15 coach Taoni Banda heaped praise on a number of talented young players who featured in the Engen Knockout Challenge this past weekend in KZN. Banda attended the famous local tournament as a scout, and was particularly impressed by Durban Ladies' Kwezi Khoza and AmaZulu's Bayanda Thabede. Banda has, however, has provided us with her thoughts on four more players, and explained what made boys' champions Shayamoya FC so special.
Ntando Ngwenya (KZN Academy)
With him, I saw that he's got very quick feet. Ntando was one of the players that doesn't hold much of the ball. He moved the ball very quickly and he's very quick as well. A good passer of the ball, his movement outside of the ball, out of the ball and with the ball. Great awareness with him as well. Yeah, he was a very exceptional player as well. The difference between him and Bayanda (Thabede) is that Bayanda is strong, he can protect the ball well, whereas Ntando doesn't hold on to the ball much, he moves very quick.
Luyanda Gasa (Midlands)
What we noticed about him he was good on one on one-on-one situations. Very good finisher, good ball control, exceptional technique when he takes shots. Very pacey, usually comes mostly from the wide positions, so from that side, one-on-one, yoh… he was mopping (the floor) with the players that side.
Olwethu Sosibo (Lindelani Ladies FC)
She reminded me of Kholosa from Banyana Banyana, who used to play for University of Western Cape. How she controlled the midfielder, how she's calm, the ball control, the striking of diagonal balls and switching of play, long passes. You don't see that most in the women's football. They can't give you the long range passes. Hers were perfect. Very aggressive player, doesn't pull out from the tackles, win all the second balls in the midfield, she was boss.
Aseza Hlela (Sunflower W FC)
A very hard-working player, because her team is a very young team so she was more of like a leader. That's where we saw her leadership. Very pacey player, skillful, finding the passing lines very nicely, commands the team well, a very good leader and the pace she comes from the wings. She reminded us of Veronica Phewa, who we were sitting with. She is very pacey and very skillful. Good leader as well.
Can you give us your thoughts boys' champions Shayamoya FC?
It was a combination of both (strong team dynamics and individual performances) and it was the excitement as well. There are not so many tournaments for the young ones in the province or in the region, so Engen is everyone's dream so each team will come guns blazing so they can be noticed and respected. So, nobody expected Shayamoya in the boys' division to go all the way, they were the underdogs. In fact, both teams that played in the finals… no one could have predicted those teams to go all the way. With Shayamoya, they played so well as a team. You could tell they've been playing together for a while.
