Thapelo Maseko’s childhood coach at Vaal Juventus Isaac Mphashane has opened up about the striker’s journey to the professional ranks, saying Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns wanted to sign him as a young boy.
Maseko, 22, started his professional journey at SuperSport United Academy, was soon promoted to the first team and eventually moved across town to Sundowns in the 2023/24 season.
He spent the last six months of last campaign on loan at AEL Limassol in the Cyprus League having struggled for game time at Chloorkop. He made 15 appearances across all competitions in Cyprus and scored two goals, which saw him travelling to the 2026 FIFA World Cup on-going in the USA, Mexico and Canada with Bafana.
Maseko scored the historic goal that sent South Africa into the second round of the global tournament for the very first time. Mphashane relayed how the striker turned professional.
“There was a tournament at VUT a school tournament, there were scouts there,” said Mphashane on Sport Night Amplified With Andile.
“[Kaizer] Chiefs they were fighting for Thapelo, Sundowns they were looking to sign Thapelo, even SuperSport.
“But we sat down with the parents I said to the parents, ‘okay for my view I just want to take this boy to SuperSport because Sundowns and Chiefs are big teams and they are buying players from outside. So, let’s be patient to take this boy to SuperSport and we see the progress from there’.
“Then he played for U17 when he arrived there and he played only two games. I still remember, he played only two games. After that they promoted him to U19. After 19 he went to DDC, even Stan Mathews was so happy to have that player.”
Ngamla, as the coach is affectionately known, also spoke about how Maseko has always been above his peers and how opposition teams felt he was cheating.
“Thapelo was nine years old when he played for Juventus,” added Mphashane.
“You know sometimes after a training session for the senior team these boys would take the ball and play around. Then I noticed something that there is a technique here. I called him and asked him which team he was playing for. He said he doesn’t have a team.
“I said to him tomorrow he must come to the training session I just want to check something. The boy played U13, he was nine years almost fours playing for the U13. But when he graduated to U15 he was so super and we were playing in the LFA League.
“And even when we played against other teams they were just complaining, saying we were robbing them and that Thapelo was too old to play in the division. And he was only 13 that time he was so marvellous playing in the U15.”
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