He replaces legendary former Bafana Bafana captain Lucas “Rhoo” Radebe in the role.
Born and raised in Mbombela, Mkhabela is no stranger to the tournament, having come through the ranks of the cup himself.
The tournament has been a talent hub for football scouts across the country and has produced some star players for Premier Soccer League (PSL) teams.
Velile Zitha, Ludick Mkhatshwa and Jabulani Dladla are products of the Selati.
Mkhabela made his PSL debut in 2011 when he played for Calvin Johnson’s Platinum Stars.
He joined SuperSport in 2013 before he was eventually snapped up by Soweto giants, Kaizer Chiefs in 2016.
He then moved to Platinum Stars in 2017.
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When the team was relegated at the end of the 2017/18 season and renamed Cape Umoya United before relocating to Cape Town, Mkhabela went to join Highlands Park.
Mkhabela said he was delighted to be a part of the Selati Cup.
It’s a tournament I hold close ties with, having played there as a youngster. It was a launch pad for my career and enabled me to showcase my talent. I look forward to giving back to the tournament that gave me so much. Can’t wait to see the talent on show this year and hopefully do my bit to raise the standards even higher,” said Mkhabela.
A whopping 128 teams entered for this year’s tournament and only 32 remain.
Last year’s defending champions, Boschfontein FC are aiming to rewrite the history books by becoming the first team to win the tournament twice.
Also Read: Selati Cup to change hands again
Selati coordinator, Kenneth Phiri said he was happy to be a part of the spectacle.
“It’s always an exciting time when the Selati Cup arrives. It brings joy to our communities in Mpumalanga. This year we have one of our own as the ambassador. Enocent Mkhabela is true testament of what this competition is all about and we hope it will inspire youngsters to follow in his footsteps” said Phiri.
