South Africa’s U17 national team assistant coach Aaron Mokoena says the Amajimbos red-hot forward, Siyabonga Mabena is the future of the country’s goalscoring problem in our country.
Mabena, who is only 15 years old, took many by storm at the COSAFA U17 Boys Championship.
The young lethal hitman managed to bang in nine goals and helped South Africa reach the regional tournament final in Lilongwe, Malawi, last year December.
Given his stellar displays and freakish goalscoring rate at the Region 5 Games, the youngster also scooped both the Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament accolades.
The former Bafana Bafana captain, Mokoena, reckons that Mabena gave the SA U17 so much “hope”, and he thinks that the School of Excellence product is the natural “talent” that South Africa needs moving forward.
AARON MOKOENA ON SIYABONGA MABENA…
“I think he is the future. I mean, we have at least one of the talented ones in him. The talent that we really need to manage very well,” Mokoena told FARPost.
“He gave us a serious hope. At the age of 15 being the top goalscorer at the COSAFA and the Player of the Tournament as well, it shows that there is something right we as coaches did and fact that the team got to the finals as well.
“Siyabonga is also our vice-captain, and it goes down to show there is something that we saw as coaches.”
AARON MOKOENA’S WISH FOR SIYABONGA MABENA…
The ex-Cape Town City assistant coach further stated that he wishes that the boy will be in good hands [better management] for him to be able to reach greater heights in the future.
“We have seen these kind of players before; few years down the line such players you hear nothing about them anymore,” he added.
“So, I really hope that whoever manages this boy will make sure that he gets right education and right management/
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