Staff Writer. Images: Supplied

Cape Town rising football star Sisa Pikini has always dreamed of displaying his skills against professional clubs – and his dreams may come true when his Young Bafana side locks horns with Mamelodi Sundowns in the Bayhill Premier Cup this coming Easter Weekend. 

“I’m really excited that I will be in Young Bafana’s squad for the Bayhill Premier Cup this season, and I’m looking forward to opposing teams like Mamelodi Sundowns,” the 18-year-old forward from Mfuleni commented.

Sisa was born in the Eastern Cape Town of Tsolo and grew up in Khayelitsha and Mfuleni. At age seven, he started playing football for a local club in Mfuleni called Real United FC. He then joined Young Bafana in 2021 as a striker, and was then converted into a winger.

The Strand-based Young Bafana will also face Virginia Sport Academy and Queens Park FC in what promises to be a tricky Group F.  And like many youngsters participating in the tournament for the first time, Sisa has mixed feelings about the tasks ahead.

“Having teams like Sundowns in our group brings a bit of nerves. But what I learnt about myself is self-belief; therefore, my team will compete against them and not look down on ourselves.”

This will be the 34th installment of the Bayhill Cup, which has been staged at Erica Park for more than two decades, and now boasts 32 participating teams: 17 local teams like young Bafana, 13 who have travelled from other South African provinces, and two from neighbouring Namibia. 

But with the growth of the tournament, the final will need a bit more room to breathe – this year, the final will be staged at Athlone Stadium.

Sisa will be among the hundreds of young footballers showcasing their talents in the annual event, which has become one of South Africa’s leading amateur football spectacles.

He’s eager to take up the challenge – and demonstrate his capabilities.

Being a professional footballer has been one of my biggest dreams,” he says. “So I want to use this opportunity to show what I can do. I want to make my family proud – and everyone else who’s been supportive towards my footballing career.”