Pitso Mosimane Youth Football takes a bold step into the GDL arena
The composition of the Gauteng Development League (GDL) has taken an intriguing turn, with the Pitso Mosimane Youth Football (PMYF) announcing its participation in the GDL on Monday.
This follows PMYF’s acquisition of the struggling East Rand Athletic Club, which currently props up the u19 GDL standings.
The PMYF is a component of the former Bafana Bafana coach’s commitment to youth football, contributing to a broader vision that includes the Pitso Mosimane Soccer Schools (PMSS), which were launched in 2023, and collaborates closely with Curro Holdings to promote both academics and football.
East Rand Athletic Club’s GDL journey was difficult after they won promotion to the league for the 2024 season. Despite having to battle to avoid relegation, they maintained their position in the league. Now, though, they find themselves on the bottom rung of the u19 division.
Their u17 team is their best-performing side, in 12th place. Their u15 team is in last place, and their u14 side is in the relegation zone, in 16th place.
Despite the struggles faced by the East Rand Athletic Club, their acquisition by PMYF presents the club with a golden opportunity to raise its standards and compete at the highest levels of youth football in the region.
The move also provides PMYF with a direct pathway for players emerging from their programme, including those from PMSS, to face some of the best talent in Gauteng.
In a recent press release, Dr Musa Khanyeza, the Chairman of the club, stated that the East Rand Athletic Club was established with an aim of building the community and providing young players with a platform to compete and develop their football.
“After reaching the GDL, I soon realised my capacity and the limits of what I can do for this team had been reached,” he said.
He said it was essential for more experienced professionals to assume leadership roles to help the team to continue progressing.
“I reached out to PMYF, and immediately, we found alignment,” he explained.
Khanyeza said he is confident that the PMYF is the appropriate organisation to advance his vision and elevate it to the next level.
PMYF will retain the existing East Rand Athletic Club players, along with the club’s core technical team, thereby ensuring continuity and stability as the programme moves into a new phase.
“At the same time, the organisation will expand opportunities by opening doors to more players,” PMYF said in a press release.
Pitso Mosimane declared the new partnership a defining moment for PMYF.
“We have intentionally built each layer of our programme, from mass participation to structured club football, and this step allows us to connect everything into a meaningful pathway,” he said.
“It strengthens our offering to players, parents and partners, and positions us to contribute even more to the future of South African football.”
On 20 April, PMYF assumed control of club activities from East Rand Athletic Club. Their first GDL game will be played on Saturday, 25 April against Jomo Cosmos.
Ironically, that pits Mosimane against the club formed by his former mentor, Jomo Sono, who played a direct role in Mosimane’s development at a young age.
