Socceroos take part in clinic with learners from local SA school

31 May 2010

Socceroo Mark Milligan with 13 year-old grade 7 learner, Natasha Fihlo from Masakhane School in Zandspruit. Natasha is a soccer enthusiast and player who supports Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana. Her favourite player is Teko Modise.	Manqoba Ngubane, a grade 6 learner from Masakahne School in Zanspruit, received some special playing tips from Socceroo James Holland during the clinic at St Stithians School. Manqoba plays in no 9 position at school and is a Pirates fan.

Much to the delight of a group of disadvantaged children from Masakhane School in Zandspruit, an informal settlement in the north-west of Johannesburg, several Socceroo stars joined them in a soccer clinic on Friday, only two days after arriving in South Africa to prepare for the Soccer World Cup.

The clinic was a joint arrangement between the Australian High Commission, the Australian Soccer Federation and Monash South Africa and took place at the campus of St Stithians College in Randburg, where the Australian team will be training for 10 days.

The learners are part of a group of 140, from Zandspruit, who take part in a Saturday School initiative held at the Monash South Africa campus every week. 

The successful programme includes academic support in areas such as Mathematics, Accountancy, English, and includes chess, computer literacy, life skills and sport. About 67 Monash South Africa student and three academic staff volunteers participate in the programme.

William Moore, a Monash exchange student from Melbourne, who heads the student volunteer portfolio on the Monash Student Representative Council, said that the clinic presented a wonderful opportunity for the learners to see some star players close up and gain a positive experience.

The learners, all of whom play soccer for their school, were given autographs from the soccer stars after the clinic and showed their appreciation by an enthusiastic singing of Shosholoza.

The Football Federation of Australia has provided tickets for about 10 000 children in the Roodepoort area to attend the warm up games between the Socceroos and Denmark and the US.