Publications
Partners
Cape Town - The once in a lifetime opportunity of playing professional football is fast becoming a reality for young hopefuls that have been unearthed by Nedbank through the third edition of the Nedbank Ke Yona Team Search.
The pursuit for the country’s next stars is heating up following the search far and wide toward finding those raw diamonds waiting to be polished into some of South Africa’s finest players!
Undoubtedly the lives of those individuals who are identified as part of the final squad will change and many will have their dreams turned into reality through the Nedbank Ke Yona Team search.
However, making it as a professional footballer requires serious sacrifices and the journey to the trials for the Ke Yona team search was proof of this says Bonginkosi Shangase from Pietermaritzburg.
Shangase’s journey to making it to the King Zwelithini stadium in Umlazi where he impressed the Ke Yona selectors was testament that through determination, hard work and partnering with Nedbank, dreams can really happen.
Shangase reflects on how things were touch and go for him as he had to travel with the last amount of money left in his account to the King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium, and not even knowing how he would get back home.
"I was not sure of whether I would make it but I told myself that I would grab this once in a lifetime opportunity with both hands.
"Needless to say, my efforts were rewarded and thanks to Nedbank, I am edging closer to my dream of playing professional football and the sacrifices and efforts that I have made to get to the tryouts, made me realise that it takes a lot for footballers to make it as professional players," said Shangase.
Shangase’s story is unique and yet quite common among the thousands of players who showed up at the various tryouts hosted by Nedbank, “Creating an opportunity for these players to ‘Make The Things That Really Matter Happen’ for them is an important objective for Nedbank.
"As an organisation that motivates, enables and inspires people to achieve their goals and aspirations we are committed to providing platforms such as the Nedbank Ke Yona Team search and walking the journey with individuals and communities,” said Faith Phoshoko: Head of Sponsorship and Cause Marketing at Nedbank.
