The publication is the outcome of an 18-month research project that set out to explore the factors that contribute to success in football and develop a long-term strategy to place South African football on a trajectory to become a successful international competitor.  It is the culmination of eighteen months of literature reviews, interrogation of the science that underpins the sport, and fieldwork.

The study confirms what is otherwise common knowledge: South Africa needs systematic youth football development. This is as pivotal to football as it is to any other sport; and plodding industry rather than immediate gratification should be the guide.