A total of 17 graduate players from the Collin Benjamin Soccer Talents (CBS) represented their respective regions in the recently concluded Nedbank Newspaper Cup, with eight of them collecting the Man of the Match award.
The Erongo region was crowned champions of the prestigious tournament, with seven players coming from CBS and six in the starting line-up.
CBS coach Henrico Botes said he was extremely happy with the representation at the recently concluded Nedbank Newspaper Cup.
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"We never expected to have 17 CBS players representing different regions at this tournament. There were former and current CBS players who walked away with Man of the Match performances," he said.
Botes said the boys' style of play growth showed at the showpiece, lamenting that the developing formula at CBS is working and intact.
"It shows that they are a very competitive bunch of players, and we played an important part in their development. We will always try to help our boys as best as we can. Our graduates have loan agreements for this season, and it is our aim to help place them at clubs that can assist in their development," he said.
Botes feels the newspaper cup should be a flagship tournament in the U/20 age group, and it is a unique tournament where the different regions compete for bragging rights.
"People complained about players playing for different regions and playing for a region that is not their region of birth. I think the best players should play at this tournament regardless of where they come from. We don't have an abundance of tournaments, so the best young players should compete against each other, unless the organisers change the rules," said Botes.
Shahid Naobeb, who donned the Erongo region's jersey and was the player of the tournament and the man of the match, said he was very happy and proud of his performance at the newspaper cup. It was not easy, but he gave his best in every game. "Winning the tournament shows that all the hard work, training, and teamwork really paid off. All the analysis we did at CBS helped me play better and be more confident. I can see the improvement in my game, and I am happy I applied it in the tournament," he added.
He added: "My plans going forward are to stay disciplined and to keep working hard and improve my game. I also hope to keep learning, growing both in sport and in life."
For the MTC HopSol Youth League season, Botes said he has a new group of players who will compete in the U/19 category.
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"We are the defending champions, and we would like to be on the podium again. This tournament showed us at CBS that we are on the right path, and we have to improve and double our efforts to develop more quality players for Namibia," he concluded.
