Percy Ndou
He is fearless on the football field and when he runs with the ball it seems as though it is glued to his feet. He is speedy, agile and displays great technical skill. Step aside, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, here comes Percy Ndou.
The 12-year-old from Pretoria West came a step closer to realising his dream of playing international football after participating in a two-week training session in Portugal in September.
The grade six pupil, who plays in the under-13 division, as well as eight other youngsters from his academy from the under-13, under-15 and under-17 divisions, were hosted by the professional Portuguese football club Vitória Guimarães.
Former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Bongani Zungu joined Vitória Guimarães this season and played his first match for his new club in August.
Percy plays for a club known as the Association of the Portuguese Community of Pretoria (ACPP), which originated as a social club 52 years ago. Junior football at the club was stopped about 18 years ago and then revived last year.
He was presented with a glowing report card written in Portuguese after coaches and other players watched his antics during three training sessions in Guimarães.
Roughly translated, it reads: “Good relationship with the ball. Showed technical qualities regarding the reception [of the ball] and the pass. Easy shot at the goal. Dynamic and proactive.”
The youngster fell in love with the game at the age of three after his grandfather, diehard Kaizer Chiefs supporter Thomas Ndou, bought him a plastic ball.
His proud mother, Moloko Ndou, said her father’s fanatical love of local football rubbed off on her son. “But he’s more of an international soccer lover.”
Percy admits that he has become hooked on the game and spends almost three hours a day playing football: “Soccer is my talent and I love it more than anything.”
In the past season the midfielder and striker has scored 22 goals, including two while playing in the under-15 division. Asked whether he was regarded as the top under-13 player at his club, Percy replied without hesitation: “I think so.”
His dream is one day to join either Messi’s Barcelona or Real Madrid, where his all-time favourite superstar, Ronaldo, plays.
“I like Ronaldo because some people as well as coaches at school say I play like him. I give good passes.”
He added: “Portugal was a fun place but very hot. Their players are very good. Their under-11s can beat our under-15s.”
The highlight of his visit was meeting Zungu at a restaurant, where he was offered this gem: “If you want to succeed in soccer, put in hard work. Show the coaches you can do it and don’t give them attitude.”
Although Percy has stars in his eyes, his feet are firmly planted on the ground. “I want to have an education. If I break a leg while playing international soccer and can’t play anymore, I would like to become the chief executive of Fifa or a soccer coach.”
Moloko Ndou, an unemployed single mother, supports her son by going to watch his matches.
“He’s very passionate and would stop at nothing for soccer. Boys are generally naughty but he’s very good in his schoolwork as well,” she said.
“I am so proud that my 12-year-old son was chosen to go to Portugal. It’s a great opportunity for him to be recognised in that manner at such an early age.”
She said Portuguese football coaches will be in South Africa during the July school holidays next year to watch players training. “Hopefully Percy will be awarded a scholarship to study and become a member of an academy in Portugal.”
Her father, Thomas, who played for teams in Mabopane in Pretoria during the late 1970s, said his grandson “creates magic” when he has the ball.
“It’s as if his feet have glue when he has the ball and, when he sees the goalpost, he does not want to miss a shot at goal. He’s very talented. He used to imitate some of the tactics of guys like Siphiwe Tshabalala and Teko Modise when they have the ball,” he said.
Seelan Reddi, juniors head coach of ACPP, said that Percy is “a phenomenal player” who “has got the potential and has a lot to offer. He has a future in football.
“For his age, he has a good eye for the game. He has tactical awareness, which comes with vision, and his technical abilities are very high for his age group. He’s fast and can move the ball left, right quickly.
“He’s not scared to take on players; he doesn’t look at size and who is his opposition. He is thoroughly focused on his game and what he has to do and what he has to achieve.”
Said Reddi: “Percy wins games. If he just gets his discipline, in terms of football and of fair play, under control and focuses on his game, the sky’s the limit for the boy.”
He said Percy’s style is similar to Messi’s and that he has the potential to play internationally. “He’s not afraid to challenge and take on players. That’s first and foremost what makes him a good player.”
Reddi said the Portugal visit was to expose the boys to training at clubs internationally and “hopefully to play for a club”. “We really want to develop boys and send them overseas so that they can excel and make a career in football,” he said.