{"id":46490,"date":"2024-02-14T11:14:40","date_gmt":"2024-02-14T09:14:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\/"},"modified":"2025-03-20T05:53:30","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T03:53:30","slug":"lads-big-dreams-20240213-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Hermanus teen scores contract with Young Bafana Soccer Academy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

He is local and his soccer talents know no bounds . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Local teenage sporting enthusiast, Jack Hilton (13), a learner from Generation School in Hermanus signed a player contract with Young Bafana Soccer Academy in Somerset West. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The academy, which has strong ties with clubs in Germany, Switzerland and France, provides excellent training from qualified coaches and places a strong emphasis on education and all round development of its players. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young Bafana Soccer Academy plays in the Two Oceans High Performance League alongside teams from Ubuntu, Cape Town City, Stellenbosh FC, Hout Bay and five other really strong clubs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t be more excited or prouder about playing for Young Bafana,\u201d said Jack, who draws inspiration from another local, world bodyboarding champ Tristan Roberts. \u201cTristan had a dream and he worked hard every day to reach it. My dream is to be a professional footballer and I work hard every day to realise that dream.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a contracted player at Young Bafana Jack will receive excellent training at a first-class facility and be well exposed to, and prepared for, a career as a professional goalkeeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"

<\/p>\n

Jack Hilton (13), a learner from Generation School in Hermanus signed a player contract with Young Bafana Soccer Academy in Somerset West.<\/div>\n
<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Last year Young Bafana sent two players to Clermont Foot (French Ligue 1) and currently have an academy player being assessed at Manchester City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jack, who also enjoys surfing, bodyboarding, snorkelling, skating, mountain biking and motocross, started playing soccer socially as a goalkeeper with Hermanus Hotspurs in June 2021. \u201cUsually, no-one wants to be keeper, but from day 1 that was the only position Jack wanted to play,\u201d says head coach Dave Sale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHis improvement was remarkable and I suggested he move to a more structured club that played in a league\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In April 2022 Jack joined De Beers AFC and was soon selected as team captain of his team. Playing 20 league games with 11 clean sheets, Jack conceded the fewest goals during the 2023 league season; the lowest number of conceded goals in his entire club and received the Golden Glove Award for the best keeper across all age groups at De Beers AFC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"

<\/p>\n

Jack Hilton with former international and national goal keeper Andr\u00e9 Arendse. <\/div>\n
<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Another highlight of 2023 was being selected for the u-13 Northern District Schools Football Touring team that were runners up at the South African Schools Combined Football Associations Festival (SASCFA) held in Durban. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other memorable moments for Jack include receiving sponsored gloves from Unozinti, watching professional games locally and abroad and meeting Banyana Banyana goalkeeping captain before the team left for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand last year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

He is local and his soccer talents know no bounds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":46496,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"16fb52f0-2361-45e6-81df-bd5d20f7a736","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"","background_color":"","block_editor":"","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-46490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport"],"yoast_head":"\nHermanus teen scores contract with Young Bafana Soccer Academy | Hermanus Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hermanus teen scores contract with Young Bafana Soccer Academy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"He is local and his soccer talents know no bounds.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Hermanus Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hermanustimes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-02-14T09:14:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-20T03:53:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/395a54fd277c42efb4865c6c84ee5aee.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1847\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1051\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Hermanus Times\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@hermanustimes\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@hermanustimes\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Hermanus Times\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Hermanus Times\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/abcd9acda33cdec0bc660a6350624833\"},\"headline\":\"Hermanus teen scores contract with Young Bafana Soccer Academy\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-02-14T09:14:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-20T03:53:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":444,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/395a54fd277c42efb4865c6c84ee5aee.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Sport\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2024\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\\\/\",\"name\":\"Hermanus teen scores contract with Young Bafana Soccer Academy | Hermanus Times\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/395a54fd277c42efb4865c6c84ee5aee.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-02-14T09:14:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-20T03:53:30+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/395a54fd277c42efb4865c6c84ee5aee.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/395a54fd277c42efb4865c6c84ee5aee.jpg\",\"width\":1847,\"height\":1051,\"caption\":\"The future of South African soccer, the players of Young Bafana Soccer Academy.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Sport\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/sport\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Hermanus teen scores contract with Young Bafana Soccer Academy\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/\",\"name\":\"Hermanus Times\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Hermanus Times\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/hermanus-times-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/hermanus-times-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Hermanus Times\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/hermanustimes\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/hermanustimes\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/hermanus-times\\\/\"],\"description\":\"Hermanus Times is the oldest newspaper in the region and the heartbeat of the Overberg. Since its first edition in 1949 the then-named Hermanus News has grown with local residents and made its mark as a trusted source in the local, social, economic and political fields. With more than 500 distribution points in the circulation area, this free weekly newspaper is available in Hermanus, Kleinmond, Betty\u2019s Bay, Pringle Bay, Grabouw, Villiersdorp, Bot River, Greyton, Myddleton, Tesselaarsdal, Riviersonderend, Caledon, Napier, Bredasdorp, Elim, Gansbaai, Pearly Beach and Stanford. The bilingual readership consists of people from all races and age groups, and serves the LSM market from 1 to 10.\",\"email\":\"hermanustimes@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"+27283123717\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/abcd9acda33cdec0bc660a6350624833\",\"name\":\"Hermanus Times\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/605c452cafb9158f893d9f37c5a74a6e9bcf73ff8fbb89bd33507380771ea99d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/605c452cafb9158f893d9f37c5a74a6e9bcf73ff8fbb89bd33507380771ea99d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/605c452cafb9158f893d9f37c5a74a6e9bcf73ff8fbb89bd33507380771ea99d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Hermanus Times\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/hermanustimes\\\/author\\\/hermanustimes\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Hermanus teen scores contract with Young Bafana Soccer Academy | Hermanus Times","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Hermanus teen scores contract with Young Bafana Soccer Academy","og_description":"He is local and his soccer talents know no bounds.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\/","og_site_name":"Hermanus Times","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hermanustimes","article_published_time":"2024-02-14T09:14:40+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-03-20T03:53:30+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1847,"height":1051,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/395a54fd277c42efb4865c6c84ee5aee.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Hermanus Times","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@hermanustimes","twitter_site":"@hermanustimes","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Hermanus Times","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\/"},"author":{"name":"Hermanus Times","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/#\/schema\/person\/abcd9acda33cdec0bc660a6350624833"},"headline":"Hermanus teen scores contract with Young Bafana Soccer Academy","datePublished":"2024-02-14T09:14:40+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-20T03:53:30+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\/"},"wordCount":444,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/395a54fd277c42efb4865c6c84ee5aee.jpg","articleSection":["Sport"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2024","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\/","name":"Hermanus teen scores contract with Young Bafana Soccer Academy | Hermanus Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/395a54fd277c42efb4865c6c84ee5aee.jpg","datePublished":"2024-02-14T09:14:40+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-20T03:53:30+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/395a54fd277c42efb4865c6c84ee5aee.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/395a54fd277c42efb4865c6c84ee5aee.jpg","width":1847,"height":1051,"caption":"The future of South African soccer, the players of Young Bafana Soccer Academy."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/lads-big-dreams-20240213-2\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Sport","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/sport\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Hermanus teen scores contract with Young Bafana Soccer Academy"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/","name":"Hermanus Times","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/#organization","name":"Hermanus Times","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hermanus-times-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hermanus-times-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Hermanus Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hermanustimes","https:\/\/x.com\/hermanustimes","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/hermanus-times\/"],"description":"Hermanus Times is the oldest newspaper in the region and the heartbeat of the Overberg. Since its first edition in 1949 the then-named Hermanus News has grown with local residents and made its mark as a trusted source in the local, social, economic and political fields. With more than 500 distribution points in the circulation area, this free weekly newspaper is available in Hermanus, Kleinmond, Betty\u2019s Bay, Pringle Bay, Grabouw, Villiersdorp, Bot River, Greyton, Myddleton, Tesselaarsdal, Riviersonderend, Caledon, Napier, Bredasdorp, Elim, Gansbaai, Pearly Beach and Stanford. The bilingual readership consists of people from all races and age groups, and serves the LSM market from 1 to 10.","email":"hermanustimes@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"+27283123717","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/#\/schema\/person\/abcd9acda33cdec0bc660a6350624833","name":"Hermanus Times","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/605c452cafb9158f893d9f37c5a74a6e9bcf73ff8fbb89bd33507380771ea99d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/605c452cafb9158f893d9f37c5a74a6e9bcf73ff8fbb89bd33507380771ea99d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/605c452cafb9158f893d9f37c5a74a6e9bcf73ff8fbb89bd33507380771ea99d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Hermanus Times"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/author\/hermanustimes\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/395a54fd277c42efb4865c6c84ee5aee.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":49481,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/viva-for-vivo-united-20221213-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":46490,"position":0},"title":"Viva for Vivo United!","author":"Hermanus Times","date":"14 December 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Vivo United Soccer Academy does not only teach its players great soccer moves but also to give back to the community.","rel":"","context":"In "Sport"","block_context":{"text":"Sport","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/sport\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/90fd4d2566eb4a909f7ad712ec189567.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/90fd4d2566eb4a909f7ad712ec189567.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/90fd4d2566eb4a909f7ad712ec189567.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/90fd4d2566eb4a909f7ad712ec189567.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/90fd4d2566eb4a909f7ad712ec189567.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/90fd4d2566eb4a909f7ad712ec189567.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":264193,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/local-resident-from-zwelihle-in-hermanus-gives-basketball-a-boost\/","url_meta":{"origin":46490,"position":1},"title":"Local resident from Zwelihle in Hermanus gives basketball a boost","author":"Bianca du Plessis","date":"3 July 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Paulitos Basketball Academy wants to promote basketball among the youth of Zwelihle as well as the broader Overberg region.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/paulitosbasketballpl_92606.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/paulitosbasketballpl_92606.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/paulitosbasketballpl_92606.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/paulitosbasketballpl_92606.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/paulitosbasketballpl_92606.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":267014,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/hermanus-golf-club-and-citizen-leader-lab-reach-out-to-young-golfers\/","url_meta":{"origin":46490,"position":2},"title":"Hermanus Golf Club and Citizen Leader Lab reach out to young golfers","author":"Hermanus Times","date":"16 October 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A groundbreaking partnership between Hermanus Golf Club and Citizen Leader Lab is opening doors to opportunities previously beyond reach for local learners, as the Junior Golf Academy officially launched on 29 September. This first-of-its-kind initiative brings golf \u2013 traditionally an exclusive sport \u2013 directly to students from six Overberg schools:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/jessicagolf_24519.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/jessicagolf_24519.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/jessicagolf_24519.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/jessicagolf_24519.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/jessicagolf_24519.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":296471,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/zwelihle-primary-sport-teams-score-big-with-new-kit\/","url_meta":{"origin":46490,"position":3},"title":"Zwelihle Primary sport teams score big with new kit","author":"Hermanus Times","date":"27 May 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"For the young sport achievers at Zwelihle Primary School stepping onto a sports field meant playing a sport without a proper kit, until the Alam family changed that by donating new soccer and netball kits. Alam Transport donated the kits to the school on Wednesday 20 May as part of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sport"","block_context":{"text":"Sport","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/sport\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Alamfamily_73794.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Alamfamily_73794.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Alamfamily_73794.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Alamfamily_73794.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Alamfamily_73794.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":295824,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/local-fighters-from-hermanus-take-gold-at-kazuko-kickboxing-cup\/","url_meta":{"origin":46490,"position":4},"title":"Local fighters from Hermanus take gold at Kazuko Kickboxing Cup","author":"Hermanus Times","date":"8 April 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Students from Legacy Martial Arts Academy in Hermanus delivered an outstanding performance at the recent Kazuko Kickboxing Cup held in Melkbosstrand, securing an impressive 43 medals to cement their status as a force in South African kickboxing. The championship, which served as a crucial preparation tournament for the upcoming South\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sport"","block_context":{"text":"Sport","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/sport\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/legacy_44768.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/legacy_44768.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/legacy_44768.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/legacy_44768.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/legacy_44768.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":52239,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/cricket-academy-turns-one-20220118-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":46490,"position":5},"title":"Cricket academy turns one","author":"Hermanus Times","date":"19 January 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Hermanus Cricket Academy is officially one year old.","rel":"","context":"In "Sport"","block_context":{"text":"Sport","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/sport\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/f48d41c668ab4a5ea517bdb6ee6f822c.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/f48d41c668ab4a5ea517bdb6ee6f822c.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/f48d41c668ab4a5ea517bdb6ee6f822c.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/f48d41c668ab4a5ea517bdb6ee6f822c.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/f48d41c668ab4a5ea517bdb6ee6f822c.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Hermanus Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46490","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46490"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46490\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46490"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=46490"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/hermanustimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=46490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}