‘He’s not here to add numbers’: La Masia coach on 17-year-old sensation
La Masia coach Delano Hendricks has declared that the club’s 17-year-old signing is not ‘here to add numbers’.
The Motsepe Foundation Championship just finished pre-season preparations for the 2023/24 season.
They kick off their campaign against the league’s new boys, Upington City, on Friday at the Dobsonville Stadium.
Hendricks, who previously had a stint in the Chiefs academy as a coach, has been monitoring teenage defender Isa Mangera closely and believes he has the potential to be one of the best players in the country.
HOW 17-YEAR-OLD ISA MANGERA GOT TO LA MASIA?
Mangera, who previously had a stint at the Stars of Africa Academy, has been on La Masia’s radar since last year.
La Masia identified him while playing a friendly match against Sampdoria, an amateur club from Lenasia.
“Isa is a left-footed, left-wing-back. We last spotted him last year, followed the progress, and kept tracking him,” Hendricks told FARPost.
“When we invited him for pre-season, you can see he’s matured a lot. It’s very funny when you talk of a mature 17-year-old, but obviously, there are a lot of footballing tips we’ve given him when we last spotted him.
“He’s improved on those things. I’m one of those coaches who worked in a youth academy before. I know what it means to see young talent early but not to hype them up early.”
Hendricks revealed that they had a lot of expectations for the teenager, predicting that by age 20, he would be in the topflight.
‘HE’S GOT A BRIGHT FUTURE’
“We have a lot of expectations on Isa. He’s a 17-year-old that can start. He’s not here to add numbers.
“We are pretty sure that he will contribute immensely. Physically, once tested against the Mauritius national team [in an international friendly match].
“He was one of the strongest players from our team. He’s got a bright future. He’s still in school, so we need to make gaps for him to do exams.
“We’ll support him as much as we can. I think once he’s finished, he can focus on football. At 20, we expect to see him playing in the PSL.”
Mangera, a Grade 12 learner at Redwood Academy, is a promising young player with much potential and will surely be a valuable asset to the Gauteng outfit.
Mangera is excited about the move and told FARPost he was “determined to work hard”.
The signing of Mangera is a significant coup for La Masia. He will surely add quality to the club’s defence and is potentially a player they can sell in the next few seasons.
They finished 13th in their debut campaign in South Africa’s second tier. Hendricks is confident they will have an improved campaign this season.
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