Real Betis Academy boss reveals exciting prospects for a SuperSport United prodigy

Real Betis Academy Zimbabwe boss Gerald Sibanda has revealed exciting prospects for SuperSport United’s prodigy Nokutenda Mangezi.

Mangezi was unveiled on Monday together with Chad International defender Eric Mbangossoum. He signed a one-year deal with the Tshwane side.

The 19-year-old striker was thrown into the fray on Tuesday, starting for Matsatsantsa in the Betway Premiership Tshwane Derby opener against Mamelodi Sundowns.

Though they lost 2-0 to the defending champions, the budding Zimbabwean forward exuded positivity and confidence throughout the match. Most importantly, Mangezi is the first Real Betis Academy Zimbabwe product to make a move beyond Zimbabwe’s borders in their four years of existence.

In addition, the teenage prodigy became the first Zimbabwean in two years to move to the Betway Premiership.

WHAT THE REAL BETIS ACADEMY ZIMBABWE DIRECTOR SAID ABOUT SUPERSPORT UNITED’S PRODIGY

In an interview with FARPost, Real Betis Academy Zimbabwe director Gerald Sibanda revealed what the future holds for the budding striker.

Sibanda said the La Liga side Real Betis will be keenly following Mangezi’s progress in the Betway Premiership. If he impresses in the one-year spell, Betis will lure him to Spain.

“It has been part of the long vision of Real Betis to give our players the platform to develop. Look at Nokutenda Mangezi, he is basically everything that we have accomplished since arrival in Zimbabwe. Real Betis will be monitoring him,” said Sibanda.

“He has been one of our players since 2021, and he has been through our methodology. He went to Spain in the headquarters and played two games in his tour in 2022.

“There, he scored two goals in three games and impressed Real Betis coaches. So, already, he is on the radar of our development coaches in the headquarters.

“But of course the player needed to develop by getting experience and then we took him to Simba Bhora [in Zimbabwe’s PSL] where he had a decent number of games in 2023.

“He played 20 per cent of the games. Then, we structured a good deal with SuperSport. He joined them in July for the pre-season, and in the first few days, he had already impressed coach Gavin Hunt.

“We finalised the deal in the previous weeks. Our headquarters in Spain will be following closely, one of their products. So definitely, South Africa is not his last stop as far as football is concerned,” he added.

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