The Story behind the SuperSport Tottenham Hotspur Academy

VISION

The Supersport Tottenham Hotspur Academy’s vision is to develop young South African talent to ultimately play in the Premier Soccer League (PSL); South African Football Association’s (SAFA) development structures and internationally.

The SSTHA houses the finest young talents from around the country. Young players are accommodated on full board; lodging basis and all educational and life skills is covered in full by SuperSport Tottenham Hotspur Academy.

This provides a platform where we can have maximum control of their inputs and with top class coaching we can achieve our vision.

The dedicated men behind the Academy

The Academy Director

Winstanley Eric: The Englishman joined the SuperSport Tottenham Hotspur Academy in October 2009. With his immense experience in the beautiful game, the Barnsley-born-director is here to make sure that the boys are getting the best football knowledge before graduating to the first team.

Wintanley’s personal information

Name: Eric Winstanley
Place of birth: Barnsley (hometown), England
Playing position: Central defender
Appearances: more than 600
Goals scored: More than 50
Clubs played for: Barnsley and Chesterfield

SENIOR CAREER

Played for the English youth international, played in the UEFA Youth Cup in Romania in the early sixties, he toured Zambia during the FA close season for three months in 1968, equipped with the UEFA A Coaching Certificate, landed coaching job in his early twenties, worked in African countries such as Uganda and Ethiopia, also coached Zanzibar Navy in Tanzania in 1977, coached Barnsley in the 1996/97 when they gained promotion in the English premiership, left for the Caribbean in 2001 and worked as a technical director for St Kitts, again in 2001, Barnsley organized him a testimonial game for all his services where Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson brought his team over to play in the celebration game (a proud moment according to Winstanley) he played against the Great Manchester United team.

The Academy Manager and Head of Recruitment:

Mosoetsa Godfrey: The ex-school teacher who hails from the Free State province is doing every job at the Laudium based academy ranging from sweeping the floors to coaching. He guided the academy’s under15 and under17 sides where he played in the Cup final tournaments and won the 2008 Vodacom Interschool Challenge in Soweto.

The Castle team Coach
Kwanele Kopo: His notable achievement is some of the players that participated in the 2009 FIFA under20 World Cup in Egypt representing South Africa after losing 2-1 to Ghana in an all African affair last 16 stage clash. The players are Mokotjo Kamohelo, Erasmus Kermit and Khwela Philani. He also worked as an assistant to the first team a few seasons ago.

The Under17 Coach

Kaitano Tembo: Kaizer, as he is affectionately called, played for SuperSport United between 1998 and 2006 under the guidance of Roy Matthews, Bruce Grobbelaar and the current Bafana Bafana assistant coach Pitso Mosimane. He captained the both the United outfit and the Zimbabwe national squad during his playing days. He participated in the African Cup of Nations hosted by Tunisia in 2004. Under the mentorship of Mosimane Tembo won the Absa and SAA Supa8 Cup finals, both in the 2004/05 season. The same season, Matsatsantsa were the Coca-Cola Cup runners-up.

The Academy Kit-Manager

Mkumatela Basil: His key performance area is to make sure that all the academy players are properly looked after regarding the boys’ playing attire. He is also a qualified coach after completing the South African Football Association (SAFA) Level 1 coaching course together with the United assistant coach Thomas Madigage. To cut it short, he is versatile.

The Academy Medical Staff

Tsomele “Lebo” Lebogang: Lebo is the academy’s Sport Scientist. She joined the academy on a fulltime basis in 2007. Her duties included injury prevention, fitness training, treating acute injuries and most of all coordinating medical issues at the academy. Although she is now with the academy on a fulltime basis, she is one of the longest members in the Matsatsantsa family after working with the first team in the past.

The Academy coordinator

Ballossini Giancarlo: He ensures that everything at the academy is on track. His responsibilities include the players’ participation in the league, the fixtures, the results, the Cup tournaments etc.

The Academy Administrator

Dladla Muziwakhe: This lad grew up playing football in the dusty streets of Vosloorus in Ekurhuleni. He has the under17 Gauteng provincial colours after being spotted playing for Boksburg FC and represented the South African tertiary institutions. He also played for the Moroka Swallows under19 side in 2003. After completing grade12 at the Graceland Education Centre in Germiston where he was a head-boy, he went on to further his studies at the Thswane University of Technology (TUT) doing the Sports Management course. Dladla also completed the SAFA Introductory Coaching course under the guidance of Steve Coetzee and Khabo Zondo.

The Transport and Logistics Department

Logistics Manager One

Nhlapo Sipho: All the academy boys like him; they call the Katlehong-born-logistics manager “Jahman.” Nhlapo has different exciting stories about all the academy boys dating back from 2004 in Johannesburg upon joining them before relocating to Tshwane. He travelled with them as far as Lesotho, provinces such as Free State, Northwest, Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

Logistics Manager Two

Motaung Elijah: They call him “Mlijo,” he always cracks jokes with the boys and what they like most about the Balfour-born-manager is that he likes playing loud music when they travel to and from the league and Cup matches in the Gauteng province and the surrounding areas.

Dlala Matsatsantsa!