Ajax Cape Town have added a further three youngsters to their senior side for next season.
Ajax’s academy conveyor belt has churned a further trio of youth talents which have earned their professional stripes and promoted to Roger de Sa’s 2016-2017 PSL squad, taking the total number to seven u19’s promoted for the coming season.
‘This is the largest number of academy players promoted to the PSL in one season in the club’s 17-year history. Most importantly all of the boys are exceptional individual talents and we expect them to make a huge impact in the PSL in the very near future,’ Ajax CEO Ari Efstathiou told the club’s website.
Shane Saralina, Grant Margeman and Mogamat May follow in the footsteps of youth internationals Masilake Phohlongo, Darren Johnson and Sergio Kammies and most recently Luthando Matheza, who have all been recently promoted to the PSL.
The club has taken the decision to promote the youngsters, who have all shown great signs of rapid development over the last few months.
Saralina, Margeman and May all played a vital role in coach Vladislav Heric’s team that won the NextGen and ESAD Memorial tournaments in Europe recently.
May is an 18-year-old striker who has quickly become known for his prolific nature in front of goal, his daunting pace and ability to get on the end of crosses. He will be learning from club legend Nathan Paulse as well as PSL top goal scorer contender Prince Nxumalo when the pre-season regime starts.
Having just returned from national U20 duty, left-footed Saralina won the 2016 Metropolitan Premier Cup ‘Player of the Tournament’ award earlier this year, for his excellent leadership skills and resolute defending. Strong comparisons have been drawn between Saralina and the likes of Clayton Daniels and Thulani Hlatshwayo.
The young Urban Warrior was scouted at the age of 13 and made his way through all of the club’s youth teams, and is now fighting for a place in Roger De Sa’s PSL defence.
Margeman has shown consistently good performances over the last year, as he too played a pivotal role in our U19 side winning two major European youth tournaments and reaching the final of the Metropolitan Premier Cup. Margeman follows in the footsteps of our current club captain Travis Graham, who also won the Copa Amsterdam as well as the Metropolitan Premier Cup in his days as an Ajax Cape Town youth player.
‘The club is extremely proud of the progress the kids have made in the last few months and wish them the best of luck with their young professional football careers,’ Efstathiou.
