FIFA TDS targets SA academies to fast-track talent development inspired by the GDL
25th February 2026
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FIFA is focused on developing football talent at the provincial level in South Africa, targeting around 250,000 players.
This was revealed to SABC Sport in an exclusive interview with FIFA High Performance Specialist Faisal Chibsah, during his latest visit to the country last week.
Chibsah was key in introducing the FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS) in the country four years ago, working with the former SAFA Technical Director Dr Walter Steenbok.
He is now working with the current TD Molefi Ntseki to make this a reality...
"One academy is not enough for this country with a population of 65 million people. We conducted our calculations and there are about 250,000 talented boys in this country, so my challenge to the technical director now is that he needs to know where these 250,000 boys are at any given time. Same applies to the approximately 100,000 girls. We need a system, so that we can know where all these youngsters are playing."
Initially, FIFA had planned to set aside around R14 million a year to run a national academy for boys, similar to the Girls HPC Academy, which has produced top Banyana Banyana players like Linda Motlhalo and Thembi Kgatlana.
The stumbling block was the Fun Valley Technical Centre, where SAFA wanted the academy to be located, but FIFA was not keen on having young boys accommodated there.
Now, Chibsah says a provincial plan could just work better.
South Africa is not short of good private academies, and during his latest visit, Chibsah also attended a meeting with one of the most progressive provincial youth leagues in the country, the Gauteng Development League.
He believes that if this GDL model can be replicated nationwide, SA football development would be unstoppable...
"The GDL here in Gauteng is stronger, but if you go to other provinces, it's not the same so the question is can we replicate that model in the other provinces?"
In other countries on the continent, FIFA launched the TDS programme’s elite academies to create professional pathways.
The TDS focuses on training U-10 to U-15 boys, integrating high-level coaching, education, and infrastructure.
In Namibia, it was also launched at the Football House in Katutura, in November last year. Chibsah, who works under former Arsenal head coach Arsene Wenger, who is now FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, says this method makes it easier to scout elite talent in the country...
"If you want to build a proper system, we need to know these 250,000 elite young players and understand what kind of environment they find themselves in."
