AC Milan legend Claudio Balesini will this weekend scout for players aged between 12 and 23 in an exercise to be conducted at Silver Stadium in Lilongwe.

The initiative is under Africa Global Soccer Show, World Wide Scholarships (WWS), Italia Calcio Coaching and the Lombardia Uno AC Milan Technical Centre, according to a statement from WWS public relations officer Sandy Greaves Campbell.

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Balesini, who played in the AC Milan golden era alongside Franco Baresi, Carlo Ancelotti, Marco Van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and Fillippo Inzaghi when the club was ranked the most successful in the world, is the technical director at WWS’s football academy in South Africa.

“Balesini will be responsible for finding top talent in Malawi to join the WWS Soccer Academy and will be looking for talent for further opportunities such as international tours, trials and university scholarships,” the statement from Campbell reads in part.

WWS chief executive officer Munya Maraire said under Balesini, the academy is poised to create a pipeline of young African talent to export to the world’s biggest football leagues.

He said: “Claudio has transitioned youth development worldwide and held the prestigious position of technical director at the AC Milan Youth Academy where he was instrumental in establishing more than 50 club-linked academies worldwide.

“Africa is a unique challenge for him and we have given him the assignment of total development on all four corners. The logistics are incredible, but for WWS we never shy away from a unique challenge, especially where empowering talent is at the core of the strategy.”

In Malawi, WWS has partnered TNM Super League giants Silver Strikers.

The Bankers CEO Thoko Chimbali said they look forward to working with the South Africa-based academy.

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