Benedict “Tso” Vilakazi signing boosts Prestige Football Development Academy

Prestige Football Development Academy, based in Roodepoort, has made waves by announcing the appointment of former Bafana Bafana midfielder Benedict Vilakazi as its new head coach.

Vilakazi, popularly known as “Tso” and “Little Napoleon“, brings extensive experience to the academy, which is currently competing in the Gauteng Development League‘s B stream.

He was born in Diepkloof, Soweto, and apart from the 31 caps he earned for the South African national team, Vilakazi played for, among others, top South African clubs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns. He is Orlando Pirates’ all-time leading goal scorer, with 58 goals to his name.

In a recent press statement, Prestige Football Development Academy said Vilakazi’s vision perfectly complements their commitment to the growth of young players. “We look forward to an exciting journey under him and we can’t wait to see the positive impact he will have on our players,” the statement read.

Speaking at the academy earlier this week, Vilakazi described his motivation as a coach: “I’m here at the Prestige Academy, where I think and I believe that I’m going to add value to the academy, and I am looking forward [to doing that] because one thing that is in me is that I want to build a player, possibly like me, because it’s been years of not seeing midfielders that create chances and score goals.

“So, that’s my mission. Personally, that is what I want to do. And with the academy itself, we’ve got a programme that we want to develop players that will play at the highest level.”

Prestige Football Development Academy has also partnered with German Bundesliga club FSV Mainz 05 in a relationship that is aimed at developing local talent and providing them with opportunities to compete at the highest level, both domestically and internationally.

“The agreement with Mainz is we’re going to have players from here at Prestige going overseas to play in Germany,” Vilakazi said.

His responsibilities as the head coach of the Prestige Football Development Academy involve establishing a framework, a philosophy, and a culture that will key the academy’s successes.

Vilakazi said that as a qualified coach, he possesses the expertise to nurture player development. His role at the Prestige Football Development Academy, he said, is to ensure a promising future for the young talent within the academy.

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Siya Pongco

A passionate reader and dedicated writer, Siya possesses three degrees from Rhodes University including a Postgraduate Diploma at Rhodes University. He also played amateur cricket and soccer, both during his university years. While honing his journalism skills at Grocott’s Mail in Makhanda, he developed a profound interest in the community’s response to crime. Additionally, he covered topics such as art/culture and student politics at Rhodes University in 2022. In his spare time, Siya can be found exploring galleries, dining at restaurants, indulging in literature, taking photographs or savouring his favourite dish, spaghetti.

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