24 May 2019 – Nedbank has congratulated 2017 Ke Yona Team Search (KYTS) Graduate, Bongani Sam, who was this week called up to the Bafana Bafana national team ahead of the regional COSAFA Cup tournament, set to kick off this weekend in Durban.
Sam, who was discovered at the KYTS trials staged in his home town of Port Elizabeth, stands to earn his full national colours for the Senior Men’s National Team. He follows in the footsteps of 2015 graduate Aubrey Modiba as the only other player from the Nedbank KYTS to earn a full international cap.
It has been an outstanding campaign for the 21-year old Bloemfontein Celtic full-back in his first season in top flight football.
“We would like to congratulate Bongani for this massive achievement as his career continues to soar,” said Tobie Badenhorst, Nedbank’s Head of Group Sponsorship and Cause Marketing.
“The Nedbank KYTS is one of our most important sponsorship properties due to how it continues to impact communities and ensures that our young hopefuls get to not only realise their professional football dreams, but also become household names who contribute positively to society.”
In addition to Sam’s call-up, Nedbank Cup 2019 champions TS Galaxy carried two Graduates in Zairon Abrahams and Thembinkosi Mbamba, in the team that achieved the historic victory against Kaizer Chiefs at Moses Mabhida Stadium this past weekend.
TS Galaxy became the first ever lower division side to win a domestic football title in South Africa.
“We are extremely proud of the achievements of Abrahams and Mbamba in forming part of a team that has reached unprecedented heights in this country. We also look forward to seeing them play for TS Galaxy against the 2019 Graduates later this year in the Ke Yona Challenge fixture,” Badenhorst said.
The seventh edition of the Nedbank KYTS continues this week with back to back try outs at Galeshewe Stadium in Kimberley on Saturday and at Dr Petros Malemela Stadium in Mangaung on Sunday.