The Edgar Legoale Soccer Schools Programme (ELSSP) and Free State department of education have come together to partner in the groundbreaking initiative aimed at uprooting talent in football in the province.
Legoale, a former ANC politician, is a Free State media mogul.
“Our goal is to instill a structured sporting environment by hosting local leagues, friendly matches, and inter-school tournaments,” said Legoale.
“We envision that football is becoming a unifying and empowering force that not only promotes physical wellness and discipline but also opens doors for mentorship, talent discovery, and youth empowerment.”
The province has produced many youngsters who play for national teams such as Bafana Bafana, Banyana Banyana, and Amajita, including topflight clubs in the Premier Soccer League.
These include former Bafana players such as Simba Marumo, Kagisho Dikgacoi, who also played for English Premier League’s Crystal Palace, and Sekhukhune United midfielders Kamohelo Mokotjo and Lehlohonolo Majoro.
Current Bafana stars from the province are Teboho Mokoena, Thapelo Morena, and Mothobi Mvala, among others.
Former Banyana stars from the province include Villiers-born Sanah Mollo, Mamello Makhabane from Odendaalsrus, and Philippolis-born Nthabiseng Majiya, who is currently playing for Mamelodi Sundowns and the national team.
These youngsters made it against all odds when they never had a solid foundation to get opportunities to be recognised.
This has resulted in ELSSP and the department joining hands in nurturing talent, exposing youngsters to better opportunities, and taking their football careers to greater heights.
The ELSSP drives the Tumahole High Schools soccer tournament in the Fezile Dabi region as a way of a strategic build-up to the 2025 Edgar Legoale Knockout Easter Soccer Tournament with the aim of being a vehicle to unearth talent for top teams in the country, including national teams.
Nurturing talent
Legoale said the programme will also serve as a foundation phase for long-term development in grassroots soccer, building bridges between schools, and providing positive alternatives for young people.
“It is our mission to reach every corner of the Free State, nurturing talent and restoring hope where it has faded through highlighting our commitment in channelling young energy into purpose-driven activities that promote focus, leadership, and a drug-free lifestyle,” he said.
The kick-off of the Tumahole High Schools Tournament will take place on April 12 in Tumahole township, where youngsters will be given an opportunity to display their talent and dazzling the crowd with their on-field talent.
Legoale added that the tournament will serve not only as a competitive sporting event but as an intentional intervention aimed at instilling good values and positive attitudes among high school learners.
“With the rise of drug abuse and social challenges faced by the youth, we recognise the urgent need to reach learners at school-going age before harmful behaviours take cause.
“By creating platforms like this, we are planting seeds of discipline, determination, and ambition in the hearts of young people.
“I believe in the power of sport to transform lives. We are raising athletes, leaders, and ambassadors for change, one goal at a time,” said Legoale.
R10 000 cash prize
Schools that will participate in the first phase of the tournament are Phehellang, Boitlamo, and Yakhisizwe secondary schools, as well as Weiveld Agriculture and Hotel School, Schonkenville Intermediate School, and Barnard Molokoane Comprehensive School.
The winning school will pocket R10 000 and lead a drug awareness campaign within the school and broader community.
The winners will also face off in an exhibition match against the Tumahole Teachers Football Club during the final day of the Edgar Legoale Knockout Easter Soccer Tournament on 21 April, held at Mandela Sports Ground in Tumahole, where the teachers’ football club will also receive R10 000 to run a drug awareness campaign in schools in the area.
During the 2025 Edgar Legoale Knockout Easter Soccer Tournament, which will run between April 18 and 21, 16 teams that are plying their trade in ABC Motsepe League and SAB League from Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North West, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal will battle it out for a total prize pool of R65 000.
The crowned champions will take home R50 000, while the runner-up will pocket R10 000, and the team in third place will walk away with R5 000.
