Ernst Middendorp outlines plans for Urban Academy football project

Former Kaizer Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp says Urban Academy must establish a year-round football structure before beginning its academy programme in January 2027.

The German was appointed Director of Football at the Eastern Cape-based school two months ago and has been discussing the project while attending the Kay Motsepe Schools Championship Finals at Giant Stadium in Soshanguve.

Urban Academy finished runners-up in the competition, which started on Sunday and ended on Wednesday.

Middendorp says the academy’s approach is to use football as a central part of education, with students training and playing throughout the year rather than only during short periods.

“The situation, let’s take it from their side, initiated by the private school, Urban Academy, having an idea to make football the main education tool. And you provide football not only for a couple of weeks but football will be played, the training sessions for the kids also over 12 months, that’s very crucial,” Middendorp told journalists at Giant Stadium.

The immediate priority, he added, is to put the necessary systems in place ahead of the planned launch at the beginning of 2027.

“And in the moment it’s about implementing a setup, finding the right way, what is needed to prepare properly to start with the academy work in the beginning of 2027 in January and hopefully we have the support from SAFA also, they will come around in the middle of October to inspect how far it can be category 1 under FIFA rules,” he said.

Facilities central to academy plans

Middendorp believes Urban Academy’s existing facilities can give the project a strong foundation. The school already has four football fields, while its wider structure is located outside Port Elizabeth.

He compared the plans with what he saw at the SAS (Stellenbosch Academy of Sport) Rugby academy in Stellenbosch, where he said the quality of the facilities stood out.

“What is important it’s not just to start and do something, it’s about to provide a certain setup. I went to look at SAS (Stellenbosch Academy of Sport) Rugby academy in Stellenbosch, it’s fantastic to see. The main word in terms of the responsibilities over there was ‘Do you have the fields?’ and we have four fields already. We have the structure outside of Port Elizabeth, that’s already a fantastic element. Often it’s a handicap (not to have fields),” the former Chiefs coach said.

The availability of dedicated pitches is particularly important during the cricket season, when football teams using shared facilities can be forced to stop training and playing.

Middendorp said Urban Academy’s players should not face that disruption, while also stressing the need for quality in coaching and in the academy’s wider support structure.

“Now the Cricket season is starting and the fields somewhere else are not available, they have to stop training, playing, for the (football) players (at Urban Academy) that’s not the case. It is important to provide an input into the setup, into the coaching staff, into quality off the field and let’s really start with quality in all the departments,” he added.