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The Democratic Alliance (DA) warmly welcomes the announcement by the South African Football Association (SAFA) that it intends to inject new life into school-level soccer development. Identifying and nurturing young sporting talent is absolutely critical if South Africa is to build on the recent successes of the 2010 World Cup and make an even bigger impact on the international stage at the next World Cup in 2014.

The DA believes that the success of youth football development will depend on three factors. First, SAFA needs to develop a long term plan to identify and nurture talented young footballers, from grassroots development programmes in the form of well-organised leagues and quality school coaching to the promotion of young professionals. This will require that SAFA coordinate its efforts with, and facilitate cooperation between, the departments of Sport and Recreation and Education.

Second, sufficient resources need to be allocated to sports development. The DA believes that the bulk of the R 2 billion SAFA will receive from 2010 ticket sales, together with the appropriate Lotto funds, should be allocated to youth sports projects. Third, a national centre of sporting excellence, in the form of a South African Sports Academy, needs to be established to provide talented young sportsmen and women with the best possible coaching and facilities.

A national centre of excellence is necessary if we are to fast-track our young sportspeople to the top of their game and improve our international rankings, especially in soccer.

I will be writing to the president of SAFA, Kirsten Nematandani, to request details of the turnaround strategy and submit to him the DA's proposals for a South African Sports Academy.