The first of the Living Legends Seminar series, held on 15 June in the Wreck Aquarium at uShaka Marine on the Durban beachfront, was well attended by local luminaries from the sporting fraternity, and soccer in particular. Mr. Thembinkosi Ngcobo, Head of the Parks, Recreation and Culture Department of the eThekwini Municipality lauded various people who have made contributions in putting the City of Durban on the national and international map. Amongst those receiving a special mention were Neil Tovey and Clive Barker, captain and coach respectively of the 1996 Bafana Bafana squad who won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations.
Mr. Ngcobo called for a commitment to owning and celebrating homegrown talent and contributions and achievements of Durban people. He made an appeal for Durbanites to cherish, own and celebrate Durban soccer teams and Durban victories.
The topic for the evening’s panel discussion was “The role of youth academies in the development of internationally competitive footballers in South Africa”, Moderator Lindani Mbense of SABC Sport introduced the three panelists Clive Barker, Sugar Ray Xulu and Thabo Dladla.