Victor Letsoalo’s first football coach has revealed why he wants the Royal AM star to join Kaizer Chiefs in the next transfer window.
The 29-year-old forward is one of the standout stars in the domestic league, with Chiefs seemingly keen on his signature.
This term, the Bafana Bafana star has scored 14 goals in the league, a run only bettered by Mamelodi Sundowns’ Peter Shalulile.
And Paen Nkhwashu, who was Letsoalo’s coach at Peace United, has revealed his utmost wish for the player.
“I picked up that they didn’t have a TV at home [when he was younger], so he would go to the tavern to watch Chiefs. His love for Kaizer Chiefs was too much. It’s anyone’s choice to choose his team. For him to support Chiefs is something good. When we watched Chiefs and [Orlando] Pirates [together], we knew we were enemies,” Nkhwashu, a Bucs fan, told FARPost.
He believes turning out for a team he loves would be extra motivation for him, adding that the Soweto giants desperately need a versatile forward like his prodigy.
“I’ll be very happy for him if he plays for the team he supported [when he was young]. They have no top sharpshooter; he can do well at Chiefs. For him, playing for a team he supported would be motivation,” said Nkhwashu, who discovered Letsoalo during a social soccer tournament at Ga-Thaba village in 2012.
He recalls the first-day Letsoalo caught his eye. “I discovered him in one of the social soccer tournaments at Ga-Thaba, and I could see his potential. He scored a brace in the first five minutes of the match, which is rare in football. I was blown away by his talent and scoring ability,” Nkhwashu explained.
He believes the talented forward can excel in any team, as evidenced by his rise in the game. Nkhwashu revealed that Letsoalo comes from a village that does not have proper facilities and hopes his rise will inspire other aspiring soccer players from remote areas.
Meanwhile, Letsoalo has maintained that he is happy at Royal AM and remains focused on their targets for the season. “I have a contract with Royal AM, and I’m committed to doing the team. The focus is on finishing our season strong,” the former Baroka and Bloemfontein Celtic forward told FARPost.
While he admits that Shalulile has run away with the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot Award, he says the Sundowns forward’s exploits will lift the standard in the local game.
The Namibian international became the first striker to reach the 20-goal mark in a decade. The last forward to do so was Siyabonga Nomvete in the 2011/12 season.
“It feels great; it’s a great honour to compete with a Sundowns player. I’m motivated. Seeing him score it’s great for him. It’s a great competition,” Letsoalo said.
“Fans will no longer complain about strikers failing to score many goals. Now we are competing at least.”
