Bafana Bafana star Mihlali Mayambela has opened up about his elder brother Mark’s unfulfilled potential as a footballer.
Cape Town City FC Youth coach, Mark Mayambela, who retired from playing in 2022 at the age of 34, was a highly talented player who had spells at Orlando Pirates, Bloemfontein Celtic, Djurgårdens IF, and Chippa United, among other clubs.
“No, no chance [he didn’t fulfill his potential], not even 50 percent, he knows it. I tell him all the time. He didn’t. For some reason, he didn’t,” said Mihlali Mayambela. “But maybe he will fulfill his potential as a coach.”
‘Prof’ is now nurturing young talent at the DStv Premiership side Cape Town City FC and his brother believes he has what it takes to excel at it.
He went on to say his brother’s career lasted “short”. “When I say short career, I mean he could have been something ‘wow’. It only lasted short,” he added.
Nonetheless, he credits him for having a big influence on his career. “I spent a lot of time with him, actually more than any other member of the family, and he helped me a lot,” he said.
“Things that I learnt from him are what I saw happen to him because he is not a guy who talks a lot. He is a strong character. He is the guy who had to look after the family, and he did well in that regard.”
Mihlali Mayambela said that he left South Africa to play overseas because he wanted to be his own man and not live in his brother’s shadow.
Mihlali Mayambela: ‘I left SA to forge my own path’
“He had a better talent than me, that’s for sure,” he said. “But maybe I had other strengths that he didn’t have, and they worked for me. The main reason I left for overseas was that I wanted to be my own man. I wanted to do my own thing, learn from my mistakes, and not live in someone’s shadow.”
Mihlali has been in Europe for about nine years, turning out for Djurgården and Brage in Sweden, Farense and Coimbra in Portugal, Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv in Israel and now Aris Limassol.
“What has kept me in Europe for this long is that I really wanted it. I knew there were going to be challenges, especially in my first year,” he revealed. “It is not easy. You are far away from home, alone, and if you have a problem at training, there is no one to talk to. You have to call home to share your challenges.
“Those are the types of challenges that you face, but the main thing that has kept me there for longer is that I wanted to achieve what I wanted to do.
“I wanted to go to Europe and I cannot just change that and come back home. I learnt a lot and not just as a football player, but as a human being,” he said, adding that wants to end his career in the PSL.
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