11 October 2018 –  From humble beginnings to owning his very own football club, Oscar Zulu has come a long way in a short space of time. Zulu, who was born in 1989 in Empangeni before moving to Ixopo and then to Pietermaritzburg, has always had a natural love for the game.

“I always loved soccer. It was in my blood and always a part of my life,” he said.

Having played for both his primary school (Northlands) and high school (Esther-Payne Smith) teams, he then caught the eye of Rebel Spurs FC.

After enjoying a successful playing career, he then volunteered at the Pietermaritzburg and District Soccer Association (PADSA) and immediately promoted to an executive member, thereafter offering his services to the Northern Areas Soccer Stream (NASS). These particular Associations can be found within the SAFA Umgungundlovu region.

It was there where he decided to launch his very own football club Zulu Warriors Academy in 2015.

“We have an U13 (a & b), U15 (a & b), U17 (pictured) and two senior sides (domestic and Super League), who we recruit from all areas around Pietermaritzburg. These include Sweetwaters, Edendale, Eastwood and even here in the north,” Zulu told SAFA.net.

If this wasn’t enough, this go-getter went on to attain his D License coaching certificate as well. He also coached the U15 PADSA team in a tournament in Cape Town back 2010.

His team have already been successful in local events, U15 having won the 2017 NASS Easter Tournament and reaching the semi-finals across all divisions in 2018. The senior team even won the Grand Challenge this year.

Zulu insists that there is a long way to go and he is not stopping here.

“We wish to enter the SAB League and climb up from there into the professional ranks. We also want to take our academy teams overseas to compete and showcase their skills,” enthused Zulu.

The club are lucky enough to have the services of a former National First Division (NFD) player in Konele Mbanjwa (ex Richards Bay FC) and are hoping to attract even more top players. However, as always in instances such as these, sponsorship remains much sought after.

“Our U17 side are going to compete in the Walter Sisulu Discovery tournament in December from December 1 – 26. We really welcome any sponsors to come on board to assist with travel and accommodation costs,” concluded Zulu.

Warriors are a club on the rise and are working very hard to get to the top of the ladder. With passionate people such as Zulu involved, it shouldn’t be too long until we see them competing in the top tiers of SA football.