Chiefs’ youngsters hold four-day training camp at Hilton College

Kaizer Chiefs’ future stars brought Soweto flair to the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands when the club’s under-15 and under-17 teams held a four-day high-performance training camp at Hilton College last week — an occasion that sparked excitement across the region. As one of South Africa’s most supported and recognisable clubs, their presence was keenly felt as the young Amakhosi not only trained but also competed in friendly matches against British Academy (Pinetown), Maritzburg City and Hilton College. Hilton College director of soccer Celo “Mphathi” Mbanjwa, described hosting the Chiefs juniors as both an honour and an invaluable learning experience for the players involved.

“Although it took us about six years to make this happen, it was worth the wait,” said Mbanjwa. We are just glad it finally came together. The atmosphere and excitement around the campus were incredible.

“I believe our boys and the local teams learned a great deal from the Chiefs juniors, and I hope we were able to show them one or two things on the field as well.” According to Mbanjwa, the Chiefs youngsters were given a full Hilton experience — touring the campus, visiting the school’s iconic waterfall and enjoying the natural beauty of the 450-hectare estate. “It was four days of continuous excitement,” he added. The visit was the culmination of a long-standing relationship between Mbanjwa and Kaizer Chiefs marketing and commercial director Jessica Motaung.

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From January 29 to February 1, the Soweto giants based themselves at the school, training at the Draper-Gain Centre for Performance and Wellness and making full use of the college’s world-class facilities. Hilton College has previously hosted several top professional teams, including Stellenbosch FC, Cape Town City, TS Galaxy, Sekhukhune United, Maritzburg United and AmaZulu FC — further cementing its reputation as a premier high-performance training venue. Maritzburg City Academy head coach Andile “Sguda” Cele told The Witness that his players felt privileged to be part of the occasion.

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