Pretoria Callies striker Collins Mbesuma says he is hoping to help produce youngsters who will one day get the same opportunity he got in the PSL early in his career at Kaizer Chiefs.
The former striker, who featured for Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates in the past, created the Collins Mbesuma Academy in 2020. The academy is based in Zambia and South Africa and the 37-year-old is currently running it from his own pocket.
“It’s the Collins Mbesuma Academy. It’s here (in South Africa) and in Zambia. In South Africa it’s growing, but in Zambia it’s a big one. I spend time on the phone to check what’s happening. I also have a foundation, so there is a lot happening.” Mbesuma said in a recent interview.
“I launched one year ago. It was a big launch. So far I have a lot of kids from all over Zambia and it’s moving well. In June, we had a big tournament. It was a two-day. It’s going to be every year in Zambia. It’s the Copper Belt Youth Tournament. It’s for under-15s and 17s.
“For now I am doing this from my own pocket, even the foundation. It’s not easy and sometimes you feel like why did I start. Every second there’s a call to say we need this or we need that. But it’s from my heart. I just want to help the young ones. Hopefully one day someone or a company will come, but as long as I started. It was my vision to do this because where I come from, it’s not easy for those young ones to be seen. There’s a five-year programme that we have and we will see how far we can go.”
So far, the academy has been doing well and all that remains is to produce that one star that will go on to take the PSL and South African football as a whole by surprise.