The stats that every academy player dreaming of PSL football should know.

The stats that every academy player dreaming of PSL football should know.

To Coincide with the upcoming launch of the book ‘Dual Dream’ I will be posting a number of short articles identifying crucial issues within the football academy landscape here in South Africa (that I would anticipate have some application across many other contexts and sports around the world too).

Each featured article highlights a belief, goal or dream that many within an academy will be holding tightly to during their academy development years.  Combining some stats and a wide-angled view on the future life of academy footballers, I briefly look at what are some key issues that maybe getting missed? What are the implications? And finally in later articles present an alternative approach to academy development.  First up is a 2-part article where I take a look at the desire to be starting games regularly in pro football.

PLAYER REALITY CHECK: ‘I will be a regular starter in the PSL by the age 22’

During the second week of March 2020, the final round of PSL fixtures in South Africa were played before the Covid-19 virus lockdown. There were 16 PSL teams, fielding 176 starting players (let’s leave the substitutes out for now). The ages of these players provide some surprising statistics.  The first one of note is that there is only 1 teenager in a starting eleven in the PSL (Ally Msengi, 18, from Stellenbosch, who is Tanzanian).  I have conducted the same study in the past and found the number of teenage starters to be just 3 in August 2011, and 1 in February 2017.

The statistics at ages 20 (5 starters), 21 (1 starter) and 22 (6 starters) are arguably even more startling. Just 13 players out of 176 starting in the PSL are aged between 18 and 22!  In 2011 there were quite a few more,  with 7 players aged 20, 17 aged 21, and 14 aged 22, whilst in 2017 there were 4 aged 20, 3 aged 21 and 9 aged 22, with a relatively similar overall picture to 2020.  (This of course doesn’t take into account a small number of South African younger players who are breaking through in the European Football )

Young players just don’t seem to be starting in the PSL.  My intention is not to pass comment on why this is the case, but rather question if academy players, parents, and coaches are aware of this reality just how tough it is to break through at a young age?