Johannesburg — Siyabonga Mabena could have allowed all the hype around him to go to his head but he knows that he has to remain focused and grounded.
Tipped to be a star in the making after making his Mamelodi Sundowns senior debut at 16 years of age, Mabena has been the talk of town in the last few weeks.
Despite the overwhelming hype, the KwaMhlanga-born footballer has been soaking up the pressure the best way he knows how: balancing his studies and football career.
This was a lesson that he learned from an early age, having cut his football teeth at the revered football academy, the School of Excellence, which produced some of the best talents in the country.
Those lessons have served Mabena well as he enrolled at Clapham High School this year and played in the Sundowns reserves before featuring for the senior team.
Mabena, though, knows that he wouldn’t have gotten this far if it weren’t for his friends who ensure that he’s up to date with all his school work in Grade 11.
“There are people that are helping me. There’s time to study and train. After training, I go to study. My friends also help me with homework and other things,” Mabena said.
And while his peers have ensured that he’s in tune with his school work, Mabena has been receiving a lot of support and advice from his Sundowns teammates as well.
Club captain Themba Zwane is one particular teammate that has taken the teenager under his wing, ensuring that he knows what’s expected of him at all times.
“I got the best advice from Themba Zwane. He told me to stay focused and neglect all the outside noise. He told me to stay focused and always grounded,” Mabena said.
For Mabena, that’s a dream come true as Zwane has been his role model from a young age.
“Themba Zwane is a player that I look up to. When I started at the School of Excellence, I was always looking up to him,” Mabena explained.
“To share a changing room with him and other players is really encouraging for me because there’s hope that one day I’ll be able to achieve what they’ve achieved in their respective careers.”
The support that Mabena has received at both personal and international level has seen him make the final 21-man squad that will represent the country in the Under-17 Afcon in Algeria later this month.
Amajimbos are in a tough group as they are drawn alongside Morocco, Zambia and Nigeria in Group B and that’s why players such as Mabena will be key in their quest to at least qualify for the semi-finals, which guarantees automatic qualification for the World Cup later this year.
Mabena, though, is not worried about the pressure that will come with being the main man for coach Duncan Crowie’s side, after all, he’s a team player first and foremost.
“I just act normally, just like the rest of the players. They are my peers. So, I just act normally, just because I am training with the first team doesn’t change anything,” Mabena said.
“I don’t have to act big now, I must act normally. After all, we started the journey together as a team during the qualifiers.”
SA U17 full squad:
Goalkeepers: Takalani Mazhamba, Gennaro Johnson, Kyle Jansen
Defenders: Xhosa Manyama, Keitumetse Lesia, Waylon Renecke, Benjamin Wallace, Vincent Sithole, Tyler Cicero, Thato Sibiya
Midfielders: Xolani Tshaka, Gomolemo Kekana, Vicky Mkhawana, Xavier Jodamus, Dhakier Lee
Strikers: Michael Dokunmu, Orifha Maubelo, Bennet Mokoena, Gabriel Amato, Siyabonga Mabena, Luke Baartman
IOL Sport