Young soccer star to play in Morocco
Mikhenso Mgiba (16) is the only player from Mpumalanga who will play in the 2021 Total u/17 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon 2021) in Morocco
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Mikhenso Mgiba (16) is the only player from Mpumalanga who will play in the 2021 Total u/17 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon 2021) in Morocco. This talented soccer star is originally from Bushbuckridge.
According to his manager, Kuda Kasunzuma of Lez Sports Management, Mikhenso has been in Port Elizabeth for the u/17 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers for 2021.
South Africa recently defeated Zambia 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in the decider in Nelson Mandela Bay. Zambia will clash with SA in the final of the Cosafa qualifiers for the Afcon. “They won the 2020 Cosafa Cup and qualified for the 2021 Total Afcon. If they qualify for the semi-finals in the Afcon then they qualify for 2022 u/17 World Cup.”
“There are three DStv Diski league teams that are interested in Mikhenso. Kaizer Chiefs, Supersport United and Mamelodi Sundowns reserve have approached me because they see potential in him. He is currently training with Kaizer Chiefs reserve,” said Kasunzuma.
Mikhenso is registered with TS Galaxy Academy and he had been attending St Marks High School in Mbombela when he was invited to play for the Mpumalanga u/17 team in February 2019.
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“For the past month he has been at the U/17 national camp preparing for the Afcon qualifier for 2021. He was invited to the training camp in October 2019, however, he could not be part of the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations. This is because he joined the camp late and bookings had already been made to fly to Zambia. This year the young star was given an official call-up to go back. They started after lockdown. He went for the first camp in October and he went back again in November,” he explained.
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“He made it into the squad that represented the province. They went to KwaZulu-Natal during the June/July holidays in 2019. They played tournaments and he was scouted by the South African u/17 coach, Vela Khumalo, at the provincial u/17 games,” he said. Kasunzuma said he hopes Mikhenso gets exposure during Afcon 2021.