Cranston Soccer Player Competes In South Africa

Cranston resident and LaSalle Academy sophomore, Danny Apajee, has always hoped that his soccer skills would take him somewhere, but never imagined that it would take him to South Africa.

Apajee’s team, the New England Revolution Under-16 squad, was the only club chosen to represent the United States in the Future Champions Tournament from March 26 to April 1.

"I have traveled abroad to England with family on vacation, but never abroad to play soccer,” said Apajee. “I loved playing against kids from different countries. I wanted to see how I compare to them physically, technically and mentally."

According to Bryan Scales, Apajee’s coach and the Revolution’s Director of Youth Development, the promising player compared favorably.

"Danny performed well in South Africa,” said Scales. “He scored a wonderful game-winning goal against Aspire Academy (Qatar) and had a number of dangerous plays throughout the week that he just missed on. As one of the youngest players at this tournament, the experience of playing against top teams from around the world will do nothing but help Danny's development."

The tournament was held in Gauteng, which is the smallest province in South Africa, but one of the most populous. Besides the host country, other nations that were represented included Botswana, Brazil, Ghana, Netherlands, Qatar, Uruguay and Zambia.

As much as Apajee and his teammates enjoyed the world-class competition, what they experienced off the field was just as, if not more, meaningful.

“Every day was fantastic, but the best day was ‘cultural day,’ when all the teams got together and visited places in South Africa,” recalled Apajee. “We went to the Lion Park and had a tour of a World Cup stadium. At the end of the day, all the teams got together for dinner where we each performed our team dance or song.”

The safari at the Lion Park, where the group had an up-close look at animals such as lions, zebras and wildebeest, was one of several opportunities to learn about African culture. The team also shopped for souvenirs near Nelson Mandela’s house in Soweto, toured the Museum of Africa, posed for photos in front of the Mandela statue in Nelson Mandela Square, and enjoyed the South African musical “Umoja” at the Victory Theatre.

While the teams battled each other on the field, they established friendships off the field.

“Since all the teams stayed in the same hotel, it was easier to become friends,” said Apajee. “It was nice getting shirts and jerseys from different countries. Now we have something that will remind us of each other.”

The trip also enabled Apajee and his teammates to build a tighter bond, which can only help the team succeed in the future.

“One important thing that the people of South Africa talked about was being a tribe,” stated Apajee. “You succeed as a tribe and you fall as a tribe. Whatever one person does, the tribe does. You pick each other up after someone drops their head. I think our team became a tribe and I think this will help us beat other teams and fight for our teammates.”

There’s no telling where else Apajee’s soccer career will bring him, but the Cranstonian is thankful that his soccer journey lead him to a place that he’ll always remember.

“Traveling to South Africa was most likely the greatest experience I ever had,” Apajee said. “I would do anything to go back again. Everything was great – the atmosphere, the people and the environment. Everyone was so happy and appreciative.”