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De Sa wants Bafana to replicate Ajax

Cape Town - Ajax Cape Town coach Roger de Sa thinks it would be beneficial for Bafana Bafana if more teams in South Africa adopted a similar model to the Urban Warriors.

Ajax have developed a reputation for trusting the players in their youth academy with a role in the first team and have produced a steady stream of talent over the last few years.

De Sa believes it would be good for the health of the league and the national team if more clubs around the country were willing to give young players a chance to prove themselves in the Premiership.

The Cape side reached the final of the MTN8 competition after beating Bidvest Wits 2-1 on aggregate over two legs with a side that was majority home-grown.

"We have 10 players from our own academy playing in a semi-final of a cup. Can you imagine if every club in the country did that? Where would Bafana be? You've got to throw the kids in and hope they can do the business. So far so good, but we have a long way to go," De Sa told Times Live.

"When I arrived Rivaldo [Coetzee] was 17 and he had a lot of weaknesses. I look at him now and I honestly can't see a better centre-back in this country. Our backline is just under-23s, which is good for us."

They will meet defending MTN8 and Absa Premiership champions Kaizer Chiefs in the final on September 19, but De Sa is confident his side can triumph.

"They are champions and they are a tough side to beat, no matter where you play them," he added.

"We have another opportunity to have a go and have a good time and who knows? We have as equal a chance as Chiefs."

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