Young Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Takalani Mazhamba has expressed extreme gratitude after starting in goals for their Betway Premiership clash against Chippa United on Saturday.
The 18-year-old made his senior bow, edging his name in the club’s history books by becoming the youngest goalkeeper to debut for Amakhosi in the PSL era at the Moses Mabhida stadium.
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Mazhamba has come through the club’s youth ranks and was instrumental as they bagged the DStv Diski Challenge last season which was a stepping stone in his young career by making it all the way to the senior team.
He has thus shown thanks to the club after making his official debut in their 1-0 defeat to the Chilli Boys in Gqeberha.
“I’m a boy from a village in Venda who grew up in Soweto. That’s where I started playing football,” he told the club’s website.
” I joined Kaizer Chiefs when I was 13 and today [Saturday], I made my debut for the senior team. To be honest, I am so happy and grateful. I really appreciate the opportunity that the Kaizer Chiefs Family have given me.
“Training with the First Team has been a great benefit for me. I have learned a lot from the likes of Brandon Petersen, Bruce Bvuma and Fiacre Ntwari, who have all been teaching me, giving me little tips to improve my goalkeeping.”
Mazhamba also spoke of how he has the maturity and temperament to cope with the demands of top-flight football despite being nervous as he eyes more features in the first team next season.
“When I was told I would start I was a bit nervous, this being my first call to step onto the big stage,” he added.
“I thought to myself that I have been doing this for seven years and it’s just another match and I must produce my A-game. The cheers I got from the supporters when I took to the field immediately gave me confidence to think, ‘Boy, you can do this, the fans are with you. Just play your game and enjoy it’.
“No goalkeeper accepts conceding goals, so I am not happy with that. But we take it, we grow from it and keep moving forward from there.
“My ambition is to play more next season. In the off-season I’ll be supporting Bafana Bafana in the World Cup and then look forward to training hard in pre-season.”
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