By Joshua Hendricks. Images: Ayanda Ndamane Conray Swail
Thirteen-year-old Mamelodi Sundowns winger Katleho Malebana has put in some outstanding performances in the Kapstadt Cup 2022, and she’s not done yet. CapeAt6Sport journalist Joshua Hendricks caught up with the young soccer sensation to find out more.
Mamelodi Sundowns winger Katleho Malebana is definitely a future Banyana Banyana star, having put in a couple of outstanding performances so far in the Kapstadt Cup 2022. And she’s just getting started.
As the only female representative in her squad, the thirteen-year-old Boksburg sensation is used to being the only rose among the thorns. She sees herself as an ambassador for females at the Kapstadt Cup at such a tender age – and she has all the moves to prove it.
“I want to play soccer so that I can show people that not only boys can play soccer,” Katleho says. “The boys in my team are very kind; they treat me like one of them. Still, I believe that most people would have the judgement that only boys can play soccer, but I’m saying girls can play football, too – and maybe even better.”
Here we can already see the amount of confidence Malebana speaks with – and she brings that same confidence to the field, along with the work rate and physicality to win the ball back for her team.
It helps that she has a good role model to follow.
“My favourite soccer player is Thembi Kgatlana, because she has speed just like me and we have many similarities in terms of where we play,” Katleho says. “She plays as a striker and as a winger, so we are the same.”
The Kapstadt Cup 2022 took place at various venues until this afternoon (2 October 2022).
Edited by Nicklaus Kruger