Coach Peace Khosa with Kaizer Chiefs trialists King Sithole and Ntshebo Makumbila at Naturena Village.
By Refilwe Sebola
Respected football scout and coach Peace Khosa has once again underlined his commitment to developing young talent after securing Kaizer Chiefs development trials for two promising 14-year-old players from Mopani District.
King Sithole, a striker from Nkowankowa Barcelona, and Ntsembho Makumbila, a midfielder from Mohlaba Home Defenders are currently spending the week at Kaizer Chiefs’ famous Naturena Village, where they began their Under-15 trials on Monday. The pair are expected to return home on Friday after completing the five-day assessment.
Khosa, who accompanied the youngsters to Johannesburg before returning home, said the experience at Naturena highlighted why Kaizer Chiefs remain one of the country’s leading clubs in youth development.
“Naturena is like a city on its own. The infrastructure is top class. They have proper facilities for developing young players, and everything is set up to help them reach their full potential,” Khosa told this publication.
The Amakhosi Under-15 side is coached by former Kaizer Chiefs defender Jimmy Jambo, whose playing career was cut short by injury before he made the transition into coaching.
Khosa has urged aspiring footballers across Mopani District to invite him to their matches so he can assess their potential.
“We just want to promote talent. If you believe you have what it takes, invite me to your games and I’ll come and scout you. Our mission is to help young players achieve their dreams,” he said.
Ironically, Khosa’s passion for developing youngsters was born from personal disappointment. A gifted central midfielder, he suffered a serious injury at the age of 14 that ended his dream of playing professional football. Instead of giving up on the game, he dedicated himself to helping the next generation reach the levels he never had the opportunity to achieve.
He still turns out for DzJ Masters in Nkowankowa and is now preparing for another chapter in his football career. Having returned home from Johannesburg, Khosa is set to join Mpheni Defenders next Monday when the ABC Motsepe League side begins its pre-season preparations, where he will serve as a coach.
Should Sithole and Makumbila impress during their stay at Naturena, it would be another major success story for Khosa, who has earned a growing reputation for identifying and promoting talented youngsters from Mopani to the development structures of South Africa’s top clubs. His work continues to give local players a genuine pathway from village football to the professional game.