The nine times Premier Soccer League winners will again this year cement their role and commitment as the leading local football partner to help discover the next football champion, in partnership with Shield Men South Africa in the SbonisāiDiski football programme.
The Bucs partnered with South Africaās #1 selling deodorant brand – Shield to help identify and empower rising talent looking to break into the professional football arena. The partnership is a natural fit given Orlando Piratesā investment in local football development through their academy and youth development programmes. This partnership entails Orlando Pirates bringing in a group of highly skilled coaches to assist the Shield Head Coach Dumisani Thusi during the scouting clinics taking place from April to June 2019.
The Orlando Pirates coaches will also bring their expertise to train and upskill the top 25 hopefuls who will make it to the HPC Centre in Pretoria from 29 to 31 July 2019. The ultimate winner from this programme will get an opportunity to earn a Multichoice Diski Challenge contract for one full year. Ryan Adams hailing from Kwa-Zulu Natal was the deserving MDC contract winner and has been training with Orlando Pirates from 01 September 2018.
āIt is a great honour to be a part of the initiative this year, the journey has been tremendous so far and we are happy to have Ryan adding his fresh skills while training with the team. We are delighted to partner with a brand like Shield, with a core vision that fittingly aligns with ours to identify, train and empower rising football talentā says Thandi Merafe, Media Officer for Orlando Pirates Football Club.
āWeāre excited to continue this partnership and have Orlando Pirates as a local partner assisting us discover and upskill young talent in football. Their contribution goes a long way for us to help put great talent back into the pool.ā says Gareth Marshall Senior Brand Manager for Shield Men South Africa.
The scouting programme will expand to regions being Johannesburg, Pretoria, Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Bloemfontein, Northern Cape, North West, Mpumalanga and Cape Town in this the third to find the best in football talent. An exciting addition to the campaign this year.
To enter Shieldās Ultimate Player trials:
- Go to or contact one of the football clubs listed on this link https://bit.ly/2YNYQeH that is in your area to find out on what days Shield training sessions are being held
- Attend a training session (bring your ID book with you) and fill out the player registration forms
- Keep attending the training sessions throughout May and June and if you impress the coaches, you could be selected to attend the Shield SbonisāiDiski Finals week held at the end of July
To be part of this exciting journey, join and follow the conversation using the hashtag #MoveWithShield and visit the Orlando Pirates and Shield South Africa social media pages.
