Good governance at the heart of North West University Soccer Institute’s pro football ambitions

The NW Soccer Institute finished as runners-up at the ABC Motsepe League national play-offs in Mthatha last month, losing 5-4 on penalties to Western Cape’s Hope FC.  

But the big job of securing promotion had already been accomplished; now it’s the real task of preparing for life in the paid ranks. 

The Institute’s CEO Dr Vuyo Sambo shares the model that they will be adopting to also cater for the students playing at Varsity level.

"As soon as we were promoted, one thing that we came up with, with the technical team now and the coach, the coach presented to us that he'd like to have certain players become alumnae and still continue to play,” Sambo said.

“It means we don't get rid of them now. So, we continue with the same players but not entirely the whole team because we still have other competitions to participate in which are your University Sport South Africa competition and also Varsity Football. 

“So, we don't throw all the eggs in one basket. To be competitive as well on the other side, we're going to keep some players who will be participating at the other leagues.

“But those who are now going to get the professional contracts will be our students and there and there we will add with a few players who will be coming outside the structures of the university but the whole aim is to have students who will be playing professional football."

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The NW Soccer Institute are now the second Varsity team in the MFC after AmaTuks and also the third National First Division (NFD) team from North West after the relegated topflight side Orbit College FC from Rustenburg and Lerumo Lions from Bethal. 

Sambo, a product of the School of Excellence---says as they are going through the process of registration at the Premier Soccer League (PSL), it’s been an eye-opener for them and how big the business of football is, in terms of meeting compliance and all the other things that come with it.

"Yeah, it's a serious business here, I can tell you. The professional side of football, this is serious business. We've been playing in the amateur league for some time now,” he added.

"We've been comfortable there, we know our way around but now getting into this space of professional football, we get to see how things are done in the big leagues. “In the past few weeks, the issue of contracts, player movements, then you get to understand here, what you were doing in the amateur leagues really does not match how player movements are happening in the professional leagues but we are swimming, we are thrown into the deep ocean but we are coming up well. We are swimming, we'll get there."