Sekhukhune United head coach Lehlohonolo Seema has laughed off suggestions of age cheating with promising teenager Asekho Tiwani.
Tiwani, 18, has burst onto the scene under Seema since his arrival at the club, having previously been on the periphery of the first-team set-up.
Seema confirmed he was impressed with the left-back when watching the DStv Diski Challenge squad and promoted him with the aim of playing him in the senior set-up.
“I was given that freedom of going down [to the development] check the teams and then say who I want for next season,” Seema said about Tiwani’s meteoric rise.
“And I went down with that mentality and mindset to look for something for next season and immediately he caught my eye – I remember coach McDonald, he’s telling the truth when saying it wasn’t a popular decision [to play him in the senior team].
“But I saw something in the boy, I brought him up, he trained with us, and apparently it wasn’t the first time he was with the first team but football is a game of results, when it’s not coming, putting in youngsters, it’s a game and when it doesn’t work, either you are going or have to answer [to management].
“So then we let him train with us, I had a one-on-one with him, I told him he has something good and he will get a chance, he just needs to play and he did [well]. One thing about him, you are told how old he is [18], you see him playing it’s two different things.
“But that’s youngsters, you give them that confidence, you support them, let the make mistakes, learn from their mistakes… it’s very exciting and I was happy he got recognition for the U20 national team call-up.”
Tiwani netted his first goal for the club against Cape Town Spurs last month, a halfway line strike to win the game 1-0 at the Peter Mokaba, which has since won the DStv Premiership Goal of the Month honour.
“It gives others hope that if you work hard you have a chance… someone was telling me no you’re lying he’s not 18 but okay if he’s not 18, look at the way he celebrated the goal, just like a kid man,” he explained.
“That goal you score it, you take off your shirt, you take off your pants, you take the yellow card! You tell the ref no give me a red card I’m done! It was a beautiful goal but the guy was shocked and he kept on saying to us; ‘I didn’t mean to! It was not intentional.
“We said no man! You looked up and you scored. So it’s nice to work with such kind of players, and discover them at such a young age, it’s good because you see many teams taking this direction. Credit must go to DDC, now people are taking note of the players coming from DDC, they are getting opportunities, it’s exciting.”
Tiwani has now featured 13 times this season and looks set for a huge future in South African football.
