Dillon Sheppard lauds DDC impact on local football

Chiefs were recently crowned champions of the DDC - the first time they’ve done so in 10 years, and Sheppard says the standard of the league is of high quality, with a direct impact on the senior teams of the respective clubs. 

Besides many players graduating from the league to become household names in South African football and beyond, the clubs have often called upon the youngsters in cases of injuries to their regulars, and many have grabbed the chance with both hands. 

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"If you go through the teams this season, from clubs like Richards Bay and Stellenbosch, the DDC has played a huge role in readying the youngsters for the top-flight league, but it has also increased the competitiveness of the premiership," stated Sheppard. 

He continued to say that the gap between the DDC and the Betway Premiership has narrowed, and the young lads find it easier to adjust in the big league than before. A testament of how high the standard is down there. 

Sheppard also says the success of both the Under-17 and Under-20 national teams, which have both qualified for their respective World Cups this year, is largely owed to the league.

"A couple of years ago, that step from DDC to first team football was a whole lot bigger, but these days, that gap has definitely gotten so much smaller. Now you're starting to see the impact in our domestic league, but also our youth national teams," explained the coach. 

The former Mamelodi Sundowns winger also acknowledged that although all the players in their team have ambitions of one day being promoted to the first team, not all of them can don the famous black and gold in the top league. He says they have to accept that some of them will find their careers at other clubs and be successful there, while some might even return to Naturena later in their professional lives. 

Having played professional football for a solid 20 years both in South Africa and abroad, plus a full international career across all age groups, Sheppard knows a thing or two about discipline to ensure a long–lasting career, and says these are the principles they try to instill in the young players. He says they work on their players’ attitude towards the game, and not believing their own hype. 

"From the coach's outlook, it's very important for us to guide and mentor them, because when some players make it to DDC level, they think that they've made it because of all the attention and hype.

"Hype is something that we have to control. Sometimes these boys can get ahead of themselves, so it's up to us to support and educate them about the demands of the local game."