Aphelele “Nqiza” Teto, who lives at Scenery Park Squatter Camp, is the latest graduate from the Carlos Soccer Youth Development Academy (CSYDA) who has gone on to sign up for a Gauteng-based professional league team academy.
An annual tour by the academy to Gauteng changed the Lumkho High School grade 9 pupil’s life for the better.
Teto will form part of the Bidvest Wits Football Club Academy in Gauteng from next year.
Playing on the left wing for the CSYDA U15 side, in one of the three local touring teams, Teto grabbed the opportunity with both hands in an attempt to raise the eyebrows of everyone present.
Academy director Eric Mtshamba said Teto’s performance had impressed the development coaches of both teams during their tour in June this year.
“Wits coaches Ashley Makhanya and Dillon Shepherd were open and told me that they would like to have the boy [Teto] in their team right away,” Mtshamba said.
“We have a very good relationship with them – they already have one of my players within their MultiChoice Diski Challenge side, Ilitha-based Msingathi Qokweni.”
Mtshamba said this year’s tour was one of their best and where all his sides had shown a huge improvement compared to the one last previous year.
“We competed against both Supersport and Wits academies’ U13, U15 and U19 sides in Pretoria and Braamfontein, respectively. We lost against Supersport but won against Wits, which was a great achievement for the boys and also CSYDA,” said Mtshamba.
After completing his final examinations, Teto returned to Gauteng where he started training with the rest of his teammates in preparation for next year.
“He comes back home on Sunday for the Christmas break and will leave again early next month,” said Mtshamba.
