Thuto
Mphahlele, captain of the victorious School of Excellence team in the 2012
Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, made his professional soccer debut recently
when he played for SuperSport United against the visiting Manchester City team.
He
feels it is an honour to be playing for SuperSport. “So far I have played one
game for the team, it was against Manchester City and we won 2-0. I was nervous and excited at the same time; I
could not believe that I was playing against a renowned International soccer
team. That’s where I see myself in the years to come, playing for an
International team.”With the PSL League starting this weekend, judging by his
performance in the pre-season build up, he could well be in line for the PSL
Rookie of the Year.
The
19 year-old defender comes from a soccer-loving family. His father, Kgosi Mphahlele, was a soccer
player, he used to play for a local team in Mahikeng and Thuto started taking
an interest in the game at the age of 9 years, playing in the yard around the
house, and for his school, Sol Plaatje Primary School.
He
started at the School Of Excellence at the age of 12 as he wanted to attend a
sports academy because he knew his soccer career would be developed and taken
care of there.
In
2007 he attended trials at the SuperSport Tottenham Hotspur Development
Academy, and although he wasn’t accepted, he never gave up on that dream. “In
2011 I went back for trials again and this time around I got accepted and since
then I have been playing for their development team,” he said. “Then in January
2013 I got signed up by Supersport United FC, which has always been my dream.”
Thuto
was part of the School of Excellence team in the Sanlam Kay Motsepe competition
for five years from 2008 to 2012. The highlight was undoubtedly last year when
they won the competition, which meant they earned the school R1.1 million. “It
was a huge achievement for us as a team and for the school. Knowing that I led the team to victory as captain
was special to me.”
Two
of his team mates are also now playing professional soccer – Stanley Muishond,
who is at Vasco Da Gama FC and Tshepo Mabuya who also plays for SuperSport
United. “I think that the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup is very important
because the players get to be seen by scouts from the PSL teams,” Thuto says.
“If it was not for the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, I would not be where I
am today. I admire Mr Motsepe for his dedication to soccer development.”
Thuto
has been back to his old school where he gave a talk to the current players. “I
told them to love and respect the game of soccer, if they ever make it big they
should always remain content and respectful.”
