Amakhosi midfielder Mandla Masango’s recent prediction that Chiefs could have five players in the national u-20 team set up, came close to being realized when four Chiefs players were given calls up to be part of Amajita’s next friendly international against Botswana on the 13th April. The game will be played in Itsoseng close to Mafikeng in the North West Province and Chiefs first team players Mandla Masango and first time call up for the U-20 ‘s goalkeeper Thela Ngobeni as well youth team players Lawrence Molekwane and Bongani Sondlane make up the Amakhosi quartet in the team.

Ngobeni smiles

Thela Ngobeni was well surprised when informed that he was one of the players requested to turn up on the 7th April at a hotel in Johannesburg to begin the pre-match camp, Ngobeni who will be hoping to make his first appearance for the U-20’s having once before been called up to a national u-17 team camp. Commented on his call up saying “the only thing I can say is that I am really happy to be getting this chance to be with the national u-20 team, when I got promoted to the Chiefs first team playing for the U-20’s was foremost on my mind. We all saw what playing for the junior national teams did for Itumeleng Khune’s career and hopefully this and future youth international call ups will put me on the same path that he threaded on”.

Hard work pays off

Chiefs goalkeeper coach Rainer Dinkelacker believes that Ngobeni’s hard working ethic has paid dividends for him and that the young keeper needs to take advantage of the opportunity that has come his way. Dinkelacker added “Thela’s call up to the U-20 national team shows that with hard work you can achieve a lot, he has put a lot in at training and extra time since he joined the first team and it is beginning to pay dividends for him. We work hard at Chiefs towards ensuring that our keepers are well trained and can be of benefit to both the club and the country, and I am really happy for Thela and I feel he has the grounding and training to do a good job”.