They board at the school and only go home during the weekend. Nhlanhla, 14, has been playing football since he was seven. He has been raised by his single father, who had no idea his son was so gifted. When the academy staff told him his son had been accepted, it came as a surprise.
"I myself was like 'wow.' I never thought he can do it," he recalls. "I know he can [be] a substitution goalkeeper. He could play rugby at school. He could play cricket. But in terms of being a right-back [footballer], I never thought he could do that and I was really, really surprised."
Nhlanhla has been at Diambars academy for one year and still has four more to go. He says he already feels he has changed for the better, because of the hard work and the discipline the academy requires. If a child does not pass at school, they are expelled from the academy.
"The year I came to Diambars, it was very hard for me to adapt, so I got into a lot of trouble with the teachers," Nhlanhla admits. "So I decided to change and the boarding masters are very hard. Sometimes, if you come late for supper, you just don't get any food or you just get punishment and you get your food. But, it's nice because you learn, you learn a lot from it, and when you come back home, you can actually see that you know what, I've actually changed."
In just three years, the Diambars academy has built a strong reputation in South Africa. Last year, the academy won the prestigious Premier League tournament in South Africa in every division they entered.
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25