14 April 2023 – SAFA Head of Scouting David Nyathi has praised organizers of the annual Bayhill tournament for their professionalism and how the competition is run.
The Bayhill tournament was hosted by SAFA Cape Town Region from 3- 9 April 2023 and on display was some exceptional football talent of the u19 clubs and academies.
“We as the Football Association are happy to see these great development tournaments taking place annually and believe that such events assist in developing our national team players. I believe that the quality of football we saw last week reminds us of the talent we have at our disposal as a country, and the fact that if we nurture this talent correctly we can go very far in world football,’ said the former Bafana Bafana legend.
“We saw some great football on display and we also saw that there is a huge gap between professional academies and the less advantaged clubs that also participated in the tournament. However, it was great to see the different variations and tactical approach to the tournament. These tournaments assist us as national team scouts in the sense that we are able to track identified players for the national teams.
‘’We managed to select three players from this tournament who are currently in the selection camp for our U17 National Men’s Team, and this exposure shows that we as a department are working hard, and are always on the lookout for new exciting talent,’’ continued Nyathi.
“I believe that these tournaments are great for football, but my plea with organizers and sponsors is to also put the same effort into growing the women’s game. It would be wonderful to see the next edition of Bayhill also having women teams in the tournament so that our football is on par with the international standards,’’ concluded Nyathi