LATE BLOOMER

Nkosinathi Sibisi has been a revelation at Orlando Pirates this season, but the best may be yet to come.

- Mazola Molefe

Nkosinathi Sibisi is another classic example of a late bloomer in South African football, according to one of the coaches who saw the defender work his way up to what he is now: a Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates player.

"We call him 'Bhodlela', a kid from the villages in Maritzburg who loved this game from a very young age and made his way to Mangosuthu University of Technology to study. I believe that's where he found his calling," explains Lindani Shezi, who is currently the reserve league coach at Lamontville Golden Arrows.

He met Sibisi when the youngster, then 18, took a chance as a trialist and immediately impressed those who were assessing the talent on offer.

"The university side was playing in the then Castle League, which is now called the regional leagues [in the SAFA amateur structures].

"I recall there were more than 1000 hopefuls, and to my surprise, he was the only one spotted by coaches Mandla Ncikazi and Vusumuzi Vilakazi - that's how his professional career started." Shezi says.

"He is such a reliable player, hence the nickname, which means 'bottle' because he is almost unbreakable."

Years later, Sibisi was handed the Arrows captain's armband, following that up with his national-team debut under newly appointed head coach Hugo Broos in June 2021, when Bafana hosted and beat Uganda 3-2.