Arminia Bielefeld committed to developing SA football talent beyond the pitch

The German club currently partners with Bolobathaba Football Academy in Johannesburg and also with players from 11 schools in the region.

Speaking to SABC Sport, Luft says the partnership is built on mutual learning, with the club gaining valuable insights from its South African counterparts.

"I believe our approach works because we see football not just as a sport, as an opportunity to develop young people and create new perspectives. As Arminia Bielefeld, it's important to speak about teamwork, passion, solidarity and the development of the young talent and these values are universal and fit perfectly with the South African football landscape," Luft said.

"Our goal is not simply to transfer the German model to South Africa, for us it's really important to understand the local environment, to work closely with the people on the ground and build structures together.

"Our ambition is not only to develop better football players but also to support young people in their personal development, that's why we think our programme works."

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Bafana Bafana legends Sibusiso Zuma and Delron Buckley represented South Africa at Bielefeld in their playing days.

Luft adds that investing in youth development and coaching education is essential to creating sustainable football structures, particularly in a country that produced players who previously represented the German club. 

"For us investing in youth development and coaching education means investing in the future and for us young talent need good training opportunities and people who can guide them on their journey, that is why developing coaches is just as important as developing players" he added.

"Africa has enormous footballing potential like I mentioned before and at the same time, we see an opportunity to make lasting contributions through knowledge sharing, personal exchange and long term collaborations. 

"We want to be sustainable in the market and like you know for us, South Africa is special because we have former players from South Africa and we are really happy to be in the market."