Picture: Players registered with MYSAFA to stop age cheating/SAFA

By OBAKENG MAJE

South African Football Association (SAFA) said it will continue to crack the whip on age cheating. SAFA president, Danny Jordan said, age-cheating has become a widespread problem in African football.

Jordan said this includes rogue schools, clubs, and even parents sometimes complicit in forging players’ ages in order to gain an advantage on the pitch.

“SAFA’s commitment to fighting cheating via digital player registration is one big reason that its teams have not been caught up in the high-profile scandals that have rocked African football recently.

“The Men’s U17 national team set to compete in the 2023 Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations is a striking example. Sixteen members of the 21-man squad of rising stars have been registered on MYSAFA a combined 48 times,” he said.

Mamelodi Sundowns FC player, Thato Sibiya tops the list with six registration records dating back to his U13 Gauteng Development League (GDL) playing days in 2018 – MYSAFA’ second year of existence.

This success has not gone unnoticed, with stakeholders in South African football praising MYSAFA as an invaluable tool for fighting age cheating.

The Orlando Pirates Head of Youth Development, Cayl Coetsee said: “Registering players early and often in MYSAFA is the best tool we have to fight age cheating in South African Football.

“There is simply less incentive to cheat at age 10 or 11, and once a player’s details are captured in the system, they can’t be changed. Adopting the MYSAFA system is a game changer for our LFAs. It’s an outstanding tool.”

MYSAFA General Manager, Shane Felix said, it is also a big reason FIFA regulations require all players to be registered from age 12. Felix further said, FIFA has even taken the extra step of mandating that by July 2025, these regulations must be included “without modification in [every] association’s regulations.

“By creating a complete registration history, known as a player passport, it becomes difficult for a player to falsify their date of birth for a single league or tournament.

“Proprietary MYSAFA tools such as home affairs verification and the ability to scan a player’s card to see their registration details online have become indispensable features for SAFA officials and coaches,” he said.

Felix added: “MYSAFA’s player profile scanning and Home Affairs API have been instrumental in fighting age cheating in South African football.

“Perception is also important. If coaches and parents think that it’s likely they will be caught and shamed in front of their friends and their football family, they are much less likely to try.”

Inqaku COO, Jason Anderson said, that Inqaku does not plan to rest on its laurels just yet. Anderson said facial recognition and artificial intelligence will soon be enlisted in the war on cheating. Doing a 3-D facial scan of each player will allow us to digitally check if the player’s ID photo matches.

“The technology is mature and we already have a proof of concept up and running. It will enable us to check for matches where a player used different personal details, like date of birth, providing yet another check against the data sent from Home Affairs. In other African countries where we operate, this will become our primary method of catching cheaters,” he said.

taungdailynews@gmail.com

Picture: The deceased, Karabo Kevin Moehi/Facebook

By OBAKENG MAJE

A burnt body of a man was discovered in a toilet in Mokgareng village, near Taung on Thursday. The North West police spokesperson in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati cluster, Warrant Officer Tryphosa van Rooyen said, the deceased was identified as Karabo Kevin Moehi (35).

“The police were called to the scene in Mokgareng after the body of a male person was found burned in a toilet. An inquest was opened for further investigation.

“The deceased was positively identified by his relatives. No foul play suspected,” van Rooyen said.

Meanwhile, the www.healthline.com website said: “There are a number of steps one can take to manage and navigate depression. Making small changes to one’s daily routine, diet, and lifestyle habits can all have a positive effect. Depression can drain your energy, leaving you feeling empty and fatigued. This can make it difficult to muster the strength or desire to get treatment.

“Small lifestyle changes may help you manage these feelings. Small steps have a big impact and if a person feels sustained, intense, feelings of sadness or loss of interest in activities, they may have clinical depression.”

It continues to say, people also refer to this condition as major depressive disorder. However, the website said, there are small steps you can take to help you gain more agency in your life and improve your sense of well-being.

“Depression is common and it affects millions of people, including some in your life. You may not realize they face similar challenges, emotions, and obstacles. The key to navigating depression is to be open, accepting, and loving toward yourself and what you’re going through.

“Every day with this disorder is different. It’s important to take your mental health seriously and accept that, where you are right now, is not where you’ll always be. If you’re up for exercise, consider a walk around the block.”

It says, on days when you feel as if you can’t get out of bed, exercise may seem like the last thing you’d want to do. The www.healthline.com said, however, exercise and physical activity can help to lower symptoms of depression and boost energy levels.

“The research suggests that, for some people, exercise can be as effective as medication at relieving depression symptoms. It may also help prevent future depressive episodes. Even when you have the feeling that you’re unable to or have very little energy, see if you’d be willing to do the opposite of what your mood is telling you to do, such as curling up in bed.

“Instead, set a small goal for yourself, such as taking a walk around the block. Also, know that today isn’t indicative of tomorrow. Internal emotions and thoughts can change from day to day. So, tracking experiences through journaling or keeping a mood diary can help to remember this.”

It says, if you were unsuccessful at getting out of bed or accomplishing your goals today, remember that you haven’t lost tomorrow’s opportunity to try again. The website says, to give yourself the grace to accept that, while some days will be difficult, some days will also be less difficult.

taungdailynews@gmail.com