PICS: Prince Harry gets football tips

Published Nov 30, 2015

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Cape Town - A Gugulethu local was British Prince Harry's soccer coach for the afternoon as the Royal visited Grassroots Football for Hope Centre in Harare, Khayelitsha on Monday.

With coach Wonderboy Sibiya giving instructions and Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille playing teaching assistant, Harry and a team of young players gathered round.

As the Prince's cheeks grew rosier in the harsh sun, the team of players aged 10-12 weren't holding back their competitive spirit. They raced Harry to completing exercises, and included him in their warm-up circle.

The Prince clapped, wiggled and shook out his legs in time to the rhythm of the team's warmup song. Foreign and local media crowded around while residents of the area stayed in their homes, not even slightly interested in the British Royal.

 

Prince Harry was given a wood carving created for him by the children at Ottery in their wood craft workshops pic.twitter.com/ZA2BSixETm

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) November 30, 2015

 

The British Council supports Football for Hope through the Premier Skills programme. They send Premiere League coaches and referees to train up and inspire local coaches like Sibiya, who in turn pass their skills along to young players.

Everton FC , Fulham FC and Sunderland FC have all sent over talent to enrich the coaching skills at Grassroots Football.

Remo Chipatiso, who heads up the Premiere Skills programme in South Africa, was excited for Prince Harry's visit.

“We're quite honoured that he's coming to visit one of our projects in South Africa,” Chipatiso said.

 

The @GRSSouthAfrica coaches led HIV awareness training sessions at the Football for Hope Centre #RoyalVisitSA pic.twitter.com/l3tVNkv64L

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) November 30, 2015

 

The Khayelitsha visit was Harry's third event in a day of being out and about in Cape Town. Earlier in the day, he conferred the Order of Companion of Honour to Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu at the V&A Waterfront.

He also visited Ottery Youth Care and Education Centre where he interacted with the children, and fed the ducks and chickens. The children presented the Prince with artworks they had made of him, while he congratulated them for doing well at school.

Harry's four day tour to South Africa will continue in Durban on Tuesday, then on to engagements at the Kruger National Park and Johannesburg.

IOL Mojo

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