A South African teenager is making waves in the Eastern Cape following his five-star performance at the 2024 Engen Knockout Challenge on the weekend. His name is Lee Rogan De Kock, and he scores goals!
PLAYER PROFILE
Name: Lee Rogan De Kock
Club: eBhayi Football Club
Position: Striker
Age: 16
Preferred foot: Left (strong right foot too)
Player traits: Places his shots, likes to score his goals from inside the box
SCOUT REPORT
Soccer Laduma caught up with former Chippa United coach Siyabulela Gwambi to talk all things Engen following this past weekend's action. Currently working as SAFA's provincial technical officer in the Eastern Cape, Gwambi attended the famous local event and was impressed with what he saw from top goalscorer De Kock, who was also named as the Best Player of the Tournament. Gwambi likened the 16-year-old talent to ex-PSL forward Bradley August, saying he believes the talented teenager has a bright future.
What stood out to you the most about De Kock?
I think the boy has got a matured technique of being a striker. He knows how to take a shot, he knows how to place it, he was the top scorer and he stands out for me. I was making an example with my fellow colleagues to say, with a previous professional striker in the name of Bradley August. He's got the very, very same stature in terms of his physical presence and his physical presence can deceive the defenders to say, "No, this one can't run because of his build", but to their surprise the guy can run. If you can compare him with the likes of Bradley August, Sean Bartlett, and recently he is, too, close to Kermit Erasmus with height and weight and the speed. So, I think he is a boy who will go somewhere.
Technically, you know, as a coach, you expect a striker to do his job, so he knew his job that he's got and that is to score goals because tournament football is different to any league game; he knew that he's got to stick with the centre-backs. I think, of the seven that he's got, five were inside the box, only two were outside. When I was watching him play, I followed all his games. He's got a very good profile as a striker, and he can go somewhere.
How important is the Engen Knockout Challenge for young players in South Africa?
It's very important, you know. It's a touching tournament to myself because we produce a lot of players from the region of the Eastern Cape coming out from the Engen Knockout Challenge. When the Engen tournament was incepted in 2003, it was in NMU, the very same place that we were over the weekend.
It is giving the platform to the underprivileged and everybody who cannot get the opportunity to express themselves because now it's going to lengthen to rural and also to the affluent areas. If you take a look now, it's going to provincial, which is now, it's extensive. Now it's going to national, which means it's exposing a lot of players who didn't get an opportunity to reach the professional level. We give thanks to Engen for giving such a platform for players and also for coaches, you know, to expose themselves at that level. Because it is very organised, it's very professional, and we thank Engen and their partners for the opportunity.
