Tops in Spain

Sean Simoncelli’s soccer career is gradually flourishing since he joined Education Through Soccer (ETS).

The 11-year-old from Maragon Private Schools in Ruimsig was the only player from the academy selected to play in the U13 Rand Central Local Football Association (RCLFA) team, which represented the country in Spain.

The team, which competed in the Donosti Cup in Spain, consisted of players from Rand Central clubs.

Initially, Simoncelli used to play cricket at school but since he joined the academy, he has turned his attention to soccer. He took on the goalkeeper position and guided the team to the semi-final and was also selected to represent the RCLFA this year.

Simoncelli explained that the experience was phenomenal and empowered him to enjoy his soccer career even better. “The trip was fantastic,” he said.

He explained that their goal is now to win the tournament next year. “We are going back again and we need to win this competition,” he said.

The coach, Jabz Gumede-Baxter said he had not expected the youngsters would reach the semi-final. “They played well as a team and they held their heads up until we were knocked out in the semi-finals,” he said.

Gumede-Baxter believes that Simoncelli was one of the best goalkeepers of the tournament. He said the youngster performed exceptionally well.

ETS has been going from strength to strength since its inception about three years ago. They have four divisions in the club which are U13, U15, U17 and U19 and compete with other clubs in the Soweto Academy League.

“Obviously, this is a tough league but the boys have done very well. Playing with clubs like Tsogo Sun and Jomo Cosmos is a bit challenging but they are performing fairly well,” concluded Gumede-Baxter.