Glen sets his sights on green and gold
Northern Academy’s u/15 football captain and centre back player Glen Malesa is making great strides in this sport, not only for his school’s team, but also on a national level.
POLOKWANE – His talents caught the interest of the u/17 South African Football Association and Team Manager, Levy Ramajoe, invited Glen to attend a national u/17 training camp in the July school holiday.
The training camp took place from 5 to 6 July, at Vaal University of Technology in Gauteng.
The invitation came after Ramajoe notified Northern Academy’s soccer coach, Hendrick Mukwevho, that Glen should attend this training camp.
Glen says players from schools around the country attended the training camp and he is really privileged to have been able to attend.
“I have played football from the age of 10. My interest in soccer came about when I was younger and played street football with the children from the neighbourhood. Ever since then all I wanted to do was to play football. This call-up for the u/17 training camp is surely one of my highlights so far in this sport,” he says proudly.
He says he learnt a lot from the training camp which he will utilise during his school’s team matches for the rest of this year.
“My parents, Piet and Morongwa, are very happy and proud of me and the fact that I have been called up by the national u/17 team management. This inspires me even more to become a professional football player one day.”
He says he is a keen Kaizer Chiefs supporter, and his favourite international football club is Barcelona.
Players like Lionel Messi from Argentina, and Bafana Bafana midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala, also inspire his commitment to football.
“I enjoy football very much, including training. Our coach trains us very hard but it is definitely worth it,” he says.
He and his u/15 team will represent Northern Academy at the Coca-Cola Provincial finals in August, after winning the Capricorn District league.
Glen says although it was a training camp, and not an official selection for the national u/17 squad, he is positive that he will be selected for the team to represent South Africa in international matches later this year.
