Banyana Banyana and Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Andile Dlamini says playing in tournament such as the Phillys Games helps a player improve.
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The annual Phillys Games began on 19 December in Tembisa, with this year’s competition being the 31st edition.
“I myself, am a proud product of such competitions. Even though I may not have played in this exact tournament, growing up in Tembisa, I had quite a similar experience of playing in front of large and demanding crowds over weekends,” said Dlamini.
“Such environments are important in player development because as you progress in your career, you will find yourself playing in front of hostile environments. The standard of competitiveness continues to grow as well. This teaches you that as a footballer, you constantly need to work on your craft and the Philly’s Games instill such a discipline.”
The tournament has grown so immensely in the last couple of years that even DStv came on board to broadcast the games live.
As the tournament ambassador, Dlamini says it is a great feeling for players to be on TV and it also helps football fans to be able to watch the matches from anywhere.
“Besides not being able to be physically in Tembisa, some people may not have the luxury of being on vacation during the festive season and therefore rely on local activities to keep them entertained. DStv’s partnership with the Philly’s Games not only exposes talent to the rest of the country, but it affords thousands of homes a full afternoon of safe and secure entertainment from the comfort of their homes thanks to the games being shown live on SuperSport,” she added.
The winners of the tournament will walk away with R200 000, with the runners-up taking home R70 000, and third and fourth placed teams will get R20 000 and R10 000 respectively.
