Golden chance: Cape's rising stars expand their horizons on Spanish adventure with Real Betis

Seven emerging football talents from Cape Town have secured a golden opportunity to spend a week in Spain with Real Betis.

In May, the La Liga giants established a satellite academy called the ‘Real Betis Camp’ in the Western Cape.

In a testament to the talent nurtured in this short span, they have selected a group of young footballers for a week-long experience in Seville.

During the camp hosted in Paarl, which featured coaching from Real Betis' academy in Spain, over 65 youngsters aged 10 to 21, including both boys and girls from various areas in the province, underwent intensive training for two days.

Seven standout talents from this group, showcasing exceptional football potential, were selected for the week-long experience in Spain which commences from Friday, 15 December, to Friday, 22 December.  

The chosen talents are: Zevinio Estley-Junior Swartz (14, Namakwaland), Tyresse Ulrich King (15, Delft), Dimakatso Njabulo Mafila (17, Mbekweni), Gaylon Williams (18, Knysna), Zaydaan Shaboodien (14, Cape Town), Victor John Holland (17, Cape Town), and Tamaryn le Chat (21, Knysna).

Ryan Kroutz, the director of Cape Town's Real Betis Academy, views this opportunity as monumental, not just for South Africa but particularly for youngsters from underprivileged areas who have limited exposure beyond the challenges of their environments.

He emphasises the importance of not only nurturing the potential in children and young adults, but also broadening their perspective and shifting their mindset to see the bigger picture.

"The idea is to give the kids who never dreamed of leaving their own hometown to actually expand their knowledge of football, expand their horizons and expand their mindsets on how far they can go with playing