At just 14, Khusela Ntantiso is already carving a niche for himself on the international stage.
The Scenery Park teenager was part of the Under-15 SA boys’ team that made it to the recent Cosafa final, in which they lost 2-1 to Zambia at the Idas Valley Sports Complex in Stellenbosch.
Despite not ending the tournament with a winner’s medal, Khusela described playing for his country at such an early age as an honour.
“It meant a lot for me to be selected for the national squad. My family and peers are proud of me, and they have been wishing me the best throughout the tournament,” he said.
Khusela, who plays defensive midfielder and central midfielder, said competition within the squad was tough.
“The competition was hard. You need to fight for a place in the squad. I just needed to play my best.”
The Althorpe College pupil became a pivotal part of the team.
In a group stage clash against Namibia, he scored the winning goal as SA won 1-0.
His performances earned him a starting position in the final against Zambia.
“My playing style can be described as simple football. I like to control the game with communication and aggressiveness.”
Khusela said he looked up to Mamelodi Sundowns’ Teboho Mokoena and Ecuadorian Moisés Caicedo of Chelsea, both aggressive holding midfielders.
Anathi Owen Pantsi of Milan Football Club, which is based in Scenery Park, has been coaching Khusela for almost five years.
“We met Khusela Ntantiso in 2021. I noticed very early that this boy is going far with football.
“He was 10 years old at that time, but for his age he was intelligent.
“In his first season, he was named the club’s junior player of the season.”
Pantsi said it was a huge achievement for Milan FC to produce a national player.
“We as a club have been waiting for this breakthrough for a while. We know that we have talented players, very hardworking boys.
“We just lacked support from the community, and we have been running the club without any financial assistance.
“We hope that people who can assist us in exposing our boys and have an idea of the hard work the club does as we put heavy focus on creating a future for these young lads like Khusela.
“Khusela is a rare breed, and we at Milan FC see him in the national senior team soon and probably going overseas.
“His discipline and leadership qualities make it a dream for any coach to have a player like him.”
Daily Dispatch
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