Former Mamelodi Sundowns star Manqoba Ngwenya has made a bold claim, stating that Siyabonga Mabena, has the potential to match the skills and impact of Orlando Pirates‘ standout player, Relebohile Mofokeng.
These words from Ngwenya come after Mabena, the club’s 18-year-old sensation, scored in their 4-0 MTN8 quarter-final victory against Richards Bay FC on Sunday.
Mabena came on as a second-half substitute for Tashreeq Matthews and netted in the 76th minute, helping propel his team to the semi-finals, where they will take on Orlando Pirates.
This successful return to the field is particularly notable as Mabena spent most of the last season sidelined with an ACL injury. The injury forced him to miss the CAF 2025 AFCON Under-20 tournament in Egypt, which was ultimately won by South Africa. Before his injury, the youngster had only managed to feature in two games during the previous season for Sundowns.
WHAT MANQOBA NGWENYA SAID ABOUT MAMELODI SUNDOWNS’ SIYABONGA MABENA
‘Shakes’, as he’s affectionately known, reckons that Mabena has the potential to match Mofokeng’s level this season, given a chance to play more games.
“You know, I was itching to see him [Mabena] play when I saw him on the bench. He came on, and he didn’t disappoint, scoring a goal there even though it was a deflection. But you could see that he’s a live wire; he was waiting to get that opportunity, lined up, and took the shot,” Ngwenya told SoccerBeat.
“He’s one player who comes from the same mould as Relebohile Mofokeng and Emile Witbooi, who are all quality players from the School of Excellence.
“So, I really believe in him. Given a chance this season, he can also show what Mofokeng is showing us.”
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