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Talent identification and development in South African professional football – a coach perspective
The growing complexity and competitiveness of professional sport have underscored the importance of Talent Identification and Development (TID) in football. This study examines the TID frameworks employed by South Africa's top professional male football clubs through the perspectives of coaches and...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
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School of Management Studies
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613329816551424 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Nobre, Pedro Lacerda |
| author2 | Broster, Philip |
| author_browse | Broster, Philip Nobre, Pedro Lacerda |
| author_facet | Broster, Philip Nobre, Pedro Lacerda |
| author_sort | Nobre, Pedro Lacerda |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | The growing complexity and competitiveness of professional sport have underscored the importance of Talent Identification and Development (TID) in football. This study examines the TID frameworks employed by South Africa's top professional male football clubs through the perspectives of coaches and key informants. This research addresses the lack of academic focus on TID practices in the Global South, highlighting the critical role of coaches in bridging theoretical frameworks and practical applications and realities. Using a qualitative, exploratory design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 male professionals from seven Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs across four provinces, including head coaches, youth coaches, and key operational staff. Thematic analysis revealed six core themes and 18 sub-themes, illustrating the interconnected and multifactorial nature of TID. Player characteristics, recruitment processes, and the complementarity between Data-driven and Intuition-driven approaches to TID emerged as pivotal elements. A significant disparity was identified between youth and senior levels, with youth football hindered by insufficient investment, infrastructure, and structured competitions. Despite the positive contribution of the under twenty-three years old national league, the Diski League, these systemic challenges limit the development of young players in South Africa. The study offers an integrated and holistic perspective on TID, evidence of presence of sophisticated professional practices, and advocates for an ecological approach to TID. It proposes three policy recommendations: improving coach development professionalization; regional youth intensive training camps for talented players; and a structured youth competition framework. These measures aim to unlock South Africa's untapped football potential, paving the way for greater success at both national and international levels. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42231 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | English eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:34:25.395Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | School of Management Studies |
| publisherStr | School of Management Studies |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42231 Talent identification and development in South African professional football – a coach perspective Nobre, Pedro Lacerda Broster, Philip Dove, Mary Ann South African football Coaches' decision-making Data-driven TID Intuition- driven TID Global South The growing complexity and competitiveness of professional sport have underscored the importance of Talent Identification and Development (TID) in football. This study examines the TID frameworks employed by South Africa's top professional male football clubs through the perspectives of coaches and key informants. This research addresses the lack of academic focus on TID practices in the Global South, highlighting the critical role of coaches in bridging theoretical frameworks and practical applications and realities. Using a qualitative, exploratory design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 male professionals from seven Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs across four provinces, including head coaches, youth coaches, and key operational staff. Thematic analysis revealed six core themes and 18 sub-themes, illustrating the interconnected and multifactorial nature of TID. Player characteristics, recruitment processes, and the complementarity between Data-driven and Intuition-driven approaches to TID emerged as pivotal elements. A significant disparity was identified between youth and senior levels, with youth football hindered by insufficient investment, infrastructure, and structured competitions. Despite the positive contribution of the under twenty-three years old national league, the Diski League, these systemic challenges limit the development of young players in South Africa. The study offers an integrated and holistic perspective on TID, evidence of presence of sophisticated professional practices, and advocates for an ecological approach to TID. It proposes three policy recommendations: improving coach development professionalization; regional youth intensive training camps for talented players; and a structured youth competition framework. These measures aim to unlock South Africa's untapped football potential, paving the way for greater success at both national and international levels. 2025-11-17T10:54:49Z 2025-11-17T10:54:49Z 2025 2025-11-17T10:52:10Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters MPhil http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42231 en eng application/pdf School of Management Studies Faculty of Commerce University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | South African football Coaches' decision-making Data-driven TID Intuition- driven TID Global South Nobre, Pedro Lacerda Talent identification and development in South African professional football – a coach perspective |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Talent identification and development in South African professional football – a coach perspective |
| title_full | Talent identification and development in South African professional football – a coach perspective |
| title_fullStr | Talent identification and development in South African professional football – a coach perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | Talent identification and development in South African professional football – a coach perspective |
| title_short | Talent identification and development in South African professional football – a coach perspective |
| title_sort | talent identification and development in south african professional football a coach perspective |
| topic | South African football Coaches' decision-making Data-driven TID Intuition- driven TID Global South |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42231 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nobrepedrolacerda talentidentificationanddevelopmentinsouthafricanprofessionalfootballacoachperspective |