by Mandla Ndlovu
South African football is experiencing a tangible resurgence. With Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs making deep runs in continental competitions – boasting two teams in the CAF Champions League semi-finals and one in the Confederation Cup semi-finals in 2025 – and Bafana Bafana poised strongly for World Cup qualification, the signs of progress are undeniable.
While many factors contribute to this success, one crucial element, celebrating its 10th anniversary, deserves significant credit: the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC).
Launched in 2014 as the MultiChoice Diski Challenge through a partnership with the PSL, the league formalised and revitalised reserve team football in South Africa. Before the DDC, reserve structures were often inconsistent. The DDC brought structure, regular competition, and vital television exposure, creating a crucial “halfway house” between amateur ranks and the professional demands of the premiership.
Crucially, over the past decade, under the guidance and advocacy of the league’s leadership, notably PSL chairman Dr Irvin Khoza, there has been a consistent push to integrate younger players into the DDC framework.
This foresight is now bearing fruit spectacularly. The DDC has become the proving ground where raw talent is honed, tactical discipline is instilled, and players gain invaluable experience against quality opposition week in and week out.
The evidence is starkly visible in the current generation lighting up both domestic and international stages. Look no further than the core of the Bafana Bafana team driving the nation’s World Cup aspirations. Players like Percy Tau, Lyle Foster – now South Africa’s most expensive player, a testament to his development path – Nkosinathi Sibisi, Jayden Adams, the electrifying Relebohile Mofokeng, Oswin Apollis, Siyabonga Ngezana, Riccardo Goss and Sipho Chaine didn’t just appear; they are graduates of the DDC.
Their time in the DDC provided the competitive minutes and developmental pathway essential for their transition to senior success.
This platform hasn’t just benefited players; it has empowered coaches willing to trust and build around youth. Clubs like Stellenbosch FC stand as a testament to successfully leveraging the DDC. Their commitment to integrating Diski graduates into their first team has yielded impressive results and showcases a sustainable model for success built on development.
We are seeing the next wave emerge, with exciting prospects like Samkelo Kabini, recently signed by Molde in Norway, Mohau Nkota, Malibongwe Khoza, Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Mfundo Vilakazi already making names for themselves.
This revival of South African football is not a fluke or accident. Turning fortunes in football development requires long-term vision, investment and consistent platforms.
It often takes a decade, and the foresight shown by the PSL leadership in establishing and nurturing the Diski Challenge is now clearly manifesting in improved national team performance and stronger club representation continentally.
The foundation has been laid. The potent combination of the Diski Challenge platform and a coach brave enough to trust youth has proven to be an almost unstoppable force for player development and team success.
Every minute coached, every competitive match played in the DDC contributes to building a more resilient and technically proficient player. The challenge now is for more coaches across the PSL to emulate the national team coach’s faith in youth – a faith built upon the groundwork done by those club coaches who have already bravely integrated these young talents.
As we celebrate the progress, let us give credit where it is due. The DStv Diski Challenge has been a transformative force over the past 10 years, a vital engine driving the improvement and undeniable resurrection of South African football. Its contribution has been beautiful to witness and essential for the future.
- Ndlovu is a former project lead of the Diski Challenge and writes in his personal capacity
