Bafana’s Mihlali Mayambela on the South African team he supported

Bafana Bafana winger Mihlali Mayambela, who plays for Cypriot club Aris Limassol, has revealed the South African team he supported as a youngster.

Mayambela, who is the younger brother of former Orlando Pirates winger Mark Mayambela, would have followed the teams his brother played for.

The older Mayambela had stints with the Buccaneers, SuperSport United, Ajax Cape Town, and Bloemfontein Celtic, among others.

Coincidentally, the team he followed closely as a youngster is one of those his brother turned out for. The 27-year-old attacker has revealed which of those teams he grew up supporting.

WHICH TEAM DID MIHLALI MAYAMBELA SUPPORT?

“The team that I loved dearly in South Africa was Celtic, even before my brother played for them. I don’t know, maybe it’s God who instilled the love for the team,” he said.

“Unfortunately, it got sold. Maybe one day I’ll be able to be president of it, I don’t know. Let’s see.”

Mayambela made his debut for Bafana Bafana in September 2022 and has since gone on to make five appearances for the national team. He scored his first international goal in a 4-0 win over Sierra Leone in September 2022.

The talented winger started as Bafana Bafana were held to a goalless draw at home on Friday night.
Mayambela is hoping to make the squad to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire next January.

Meanwhile, he is open to coming back home when he is done in Europe. The Cape Town-born star moved to Europe as a teenager and never got to play topflight football in the country.

“I’d like to come home, it’s an amazing country. PSL is good. With [Mamelodi] Sundowns now winning back-to-back, it’s kind of difficult for other teams, but it’s still nice. I watch it all the time.”

Asked which team he would want to play for, he said: “I’ll play for whoever will offer me a role.”

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