Technical Director of the South African Football Association (SAFA), Neil Tovey, has revealed that a host of football scouts will be present at the ABC Motsepe League Play-offs currently underway in East London.

Tovey said the biggest focus will be on players for the National U20 team that recently returned from the U20 FIFA World Cup, as well as the National U23 team that is led by Owen da Gama.

“Other than the annual SAB National Championship and other leagues where we can get young players, this is the perfect place to be if you want to see talent. It is in tournaments like these where you find players with hunger, players who want to move to the next level. Some players play in the SAB Motsepe League because they are yet to be spotted and that is what we want to do with these play-offs,” said Tovey.

The former Bafana Bafana defender added that there will be a group of players selected at the end of the tournament to play a friendly match against African champions Mamelodi Sundowns.

“Just imagine what that opportunity can do for these boys – it will be immense. Sundowns has been spotting great talent and other teams will surely send their scouts as well to look at some of the players here. So this is a great step to many talented players in realising their dream of playing professional football,” added Tovey.

The group winners will earn an automatic promotion to the National First Division (NFD) and replace the relegated Santos and Magesi FC. The overall play-offs winner will then bank R1 million – with R200 000 of the prize donated to a football development initiative of their choice.

The runners-up will get R500, 000 – with R100 000 donated to a football development initiative of their choice.

Sourced from the SAFA website.