As we all know, soccer is one of the most popular sports in our country. It has united us in many ways and plays a fundamental role in the development of our young people (both on and off the field). With this in mind, Samsung have partnered with Play Soccer South Africa. The result of this partnership is the NextHero campaign which is aimed at growing and developing African soccer talent.

Play Soccer South Africa’s Program Director, Sibulele Sibaca, comments, “It is strange that the amount of money globally going into soccer tapers off so sharply at the grassroots level where so many children can be taught many important social and life skills through soccer and in this way become important future heroes on and off the pitch. We rely heavily on corporate sponsorship and the NextHero campaign is really putting their money where their mouth is with real support through a project that has longevity and interaction.”

Samsungs role in the partnership is to generate funds. They will be doing this with the J700 phone. A portion of each J700 sale will go to the NextHero campaign. The plan is to get the community involved in the future of their youth through the sales of the J700. Samsung has also created an in-store competition where J700 buyers stand the chance to win a trip to London to see Samsung’s greatest soccer hero, Didier Drogba, play a match for Chelsea against arch rivals, Arsenal on 30th November 2008.

Two soccer greats have also become involved in the program as coaches. Shaun Bartlett(a Bafana Bafana veteran) and Itumeleng Khune (a rising star on the Bafana Bafana team) will be playing the role of coach for the next two months (September and October). Both men have expressed a passion for soccer development at a grassroots level and are proud to be involved in this program. In a brief interview, Itumeleng spoke of his own experiences as a young soccer player. He believes that children need strong role models and mentors, and we heartily agree. It is a privilege to have the involvement of these soccer stars.

The campaign was launched yesterday at a press event at the Inanda Club in Sandton. Watch this space for more interviews and video.