The PSL reserve league programme has returned as the Multichoice Diski Challenge bigger and better than before, the league’s chairman Irvin Khoza announced in Randburg today. All the 16 PSL teams will have their u19 teams competing between the next month and March next year and also giving an opportunity to youngsters on the fringes of PSL teams to get game time. SABC Sport reporter Velile Mbuli attended this launch…

At a time when the buzz word in local football is development and lack of opportunities for youngsters to get game time in the PSL, the league has came up with a good solution. The formation of this new u19 PSL Reserve League that will run for three years will finally see the 16 teams’ academies getting a platform to showcase their talent. Previously there’s been a pilot reserve league project that was only based in Gauteng but the PSL chairman Irvin Khoza says this new project is bigger…

Most of these u19 teams are already affiliated to SAFA regional and local football association structures and as custodians of football in the country SAFA runs the amateur league structures. Asked if they have informed SAFA about this new Reserve league Khoza clarified that they are not running parallel programmes to SAFA but they are responding to the CAF club licensing system…

The minister of Sports Fikile Mbalula has called this new concept a game changer in the local game that will address a lot of challenges when it comes to football development…

Supersport United is one of the few teams in the league known for it’s strong development academy system, last season they registered close to 14 u/23 players in the league at a time when most teams couldn’t even reach five. United’s Director of Football Stan Matthews sees the formation of this league as a chance to give their youngsters game time…

Bidvest Wits is no stranger to football development, already they run a fully-fledged academy where youngsters are not only played football but also catered for academically. Wits General manager George Mogotsi says clubs have always been looking forward to this project…

The lack of life skills programmes in the local game has been a concern for sometime and Khoza reveals that this will be catered for in this reserve league including a leadership programme…

The teams have been separated into two groups of eight and will play one round until the knockout phase. The champions will spend four days in Holland with KNVB and also play two matches against teams from the Bundesliga in Germany. Journalist: Velile Mbuli