A pool of South African players could stand to benefit from an exciting partnership between World Wide Scholarships (WWS) and the Lombardia Uno AC Milan Academy.
In a press statement released by the company, WWS has revealed that for the last few years they have been creating partnerships with teams and universities across the globe in the hope of placing highly-rated African players in these teams.
The latest partnership involves Italian giants AC Milan, who will set up a soccer academy in September 2021, which will be supported by the club's coaches who will give insights into their training methodology.
According to the press release, the organization hosts mini-trials throughout the year in various African countries and the players identified through these trials will be taken on two international tours in July this month and in August, which includes a one week long training camp in Milan.
"There are many steps in an international talent pipeline from Africa which need to be in place before our talent can regularly feature in the world's top leagues and soccer clubs. From talent identification to coaching and mentoring, we are putting the infrastructure in place to ensure that Africa is fairly represented among the world's footballing elite," WWS CEO Munya Maraire explained.
"It's not just about being spotted by talent scouts – there is an earlier step of preparing African athletes to be ready for such assessments, and this is something we continue to work on through WWS. We have made it possible for talented young African athletes to train with selected talent around the world at top-class facilities, which will help them become adjusted to the big leagues," he added.
