Kaizer Chiefs attacker Mduduzi Shabalala has reflected on his time with the Bafana Bafana COSAFA squad, describing it as a confidence booster.
The 21-year-old had a challenging season with his club though they managed to win the Nedbank up and qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup next season. Though he had been a star of his class in his junior years becoming a regular in the national junior sides, he has struggled to break into the senior national squad.
However, Shabalala received an opportunity to be part of Vela Khumalo’s 2025 COSAFA side that finished as runners-up in Bloemfontein and speaking to the club’s media team, ‘Shaba’ reckons that the experience gained from the regional tournament will be vital when Amakhosi start their Confed Cup campaign.
“Being selected for the national team was a huge honour,” said Shabalala.
“It was also good for my self-confidence and the games taught me a lot. I have no doubt I will be able to take all these lessons to the CAF Confederations Cup, for which we as Kaizer Chiefs qualified.
“A lot of other African countries play football differently than us, being very physical. I also learnt a lot about the mental aspect of the game of football during my stint with Bafana.
“So, I gained really valuable insights and experiences that will improve my game in the future.”
Did you know that the iDiski Times Digital Newspaper is completely free! Download it now by clicking the button below or fill in the form to have it sent to you every week.
