Orlando Pirates captain Innocent Maela could have been at rival club Kaizer Chiefs or maybe joined the famous Stars of Africa academy headed by Farouk Khan had it not been for Thabo Senong.
And the former Bafana Bafana assistant coach claims he almost immediately knew the defender would become a national asset.
"I saw him at an under-19 schools tournament. What caught my attention was his speed and his ability to cross. At the time, he was playing as a left winger. Farouk Khan wanted him for his academy and Doctor Khumalo was there as the Chiefs under-17 coach as well, and tried to bring him into their programme", Senong reveals.
"I was obviously competing with those two programmes because I was working as a youth coach and scout for Pirates. I watched him twice at the school and then when I followed him to a social game. The way he adapted was impressive because the emerging talent in Witbank played against more established counterparts like Innocent Mdledle in the township."
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Denne historien er fra August 2023-utgaven av Soccer Club.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
WORLD BEATER
MANCHESTER CITY AND SPAIN MIDFIELDER RODRI HAS BEEN COLLECTING TROPHIES IN HUGE NUMBERS IN RECENT SEASONS AND IS A KEY MAN FOR CLUB AND COUNTRY
WHO ARE CLUB BRUGGE?
Shandre Campbell has recently joined Club Brugge in Belgium, but he is not the first South African to play there. Who are the team known as the Blue-Black?
LOST ART
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE GREAT FREE-KICK TAKERS IN FOOTBALL?
BACK TO THE START
HAASHIM DOMINGO HAS A FRESH START AT CAPE TOWN CITY, WHERE HE COULD TAKE THE LEAGUE BY STORM, ACCORDING TO HIS NEW BOSS
FROM BADGERS TO BRISTOL
SOUTH AFRICA'S LOSS IS THE UK'S GAIN WITH DYNAMIC ROMANEY PINNOCK HAVING TAKEN CHARGE AS THE HEAD OF BRISTOL CITY WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
READY TO PLUNDER
SELAELO RASEBOTJA HAS ARRIVED AT ORLANDO PIRATES WITH BIG EXPECTATIONS FOR THE FUTURE
CITY OF GOLD
THE GAUTENG PROVINCE, MORE SPECIFICALLY JOHANNESBURG HAVE PRODUCED THE RICHEST RESERVOIR OF TOP FOOTBALLING TALENT FOR SOUTH AFRICA
LONG-TERM TARGET
KAIZER CHIEFS ENDED THEIR LONG PURSUIT OF DEFENDER RUSHWIN DORTLEY WHEN HE WAS SIGNED IN THE LAST TRANSFER WINDOW
REMEMBERING SENZO
THIS MONTH MARKS 10 YEARS SINCE ORLANDO PIRATES AND BAFANA BAFANA GOALKEEPER SENZO MEYIWA WAS TRAGICALLY KILLED
MIRACLE MAN
QUIET AND UNASSUMING, XABI ALONSO HAS EMERGED AS ONE OF THE TOP COACHES IN WORLD FOOTBALL
