Teenager impresses senior under-23 teammates and catches Orlando Pirates' attention

28 June 2016 - 15:27 By Marc Strydom

Tercious Malepe‚ the 19-year-old Moroka Swallows centreback who has reportedly caught the attention of Orlando Pirates‚ impressed his South Africa Under-23 team-mates as they won the Cosafa Cup this past week. Malepe played above his years in two games for Bafana Bafana‚ who consisted of their U-23 players in preparation for the Rio Olympic Games in August.In the 5-1 semifinal thrashing of Swaziland and the tense‚ hard-fought 3-2 win against Botswana in the final‚ the youngest member of the team showed maturity with his calm defending and positional play alongside captain and Bafana senior centre-back Rivaldo Coetzee.“He’s a good player and a tight player. And I think if he keeps on working hard he will make it in future‚” said Gift Motupa‚ who scored a brace against Botswana. Under-20 captain Malepe was promoted to Bafana’s Cosafa team by coach Shakes Mashaba and U-23 coach Owen Da Gama‚ on the recommendation of Bafana and U-23 assistant coach Thabo Senong.His timely arrival at a more senior level shows how well the synergy of having coaches from national senior level and across the age groups working alongside each other.Left-footed centrebacks can be a rarity‚ and Malepe eased into a more senior position with great confidence. “I’m so comfortable from the training that I was given by my mentor‚ Ivan Malahlela. He trains me when I’m off from my main team [Swallows]‚” the young defender said.Malahlela is the owner of the Gauteng-based Tswelopele Soccer Academy.“He used to tell me‚ ‘Tercious boy‚ you’re a left-footed player – you are so valuable. So be calm – don’t rush things. Better things will come for you’‚” Malepe said.“I do feel the sky is the limit but I’m not going to relax. I still have a lot to work for and more goals to come.”After Swallows’ relegation from the First Division – a year after dropping from the Premier League – to the ABC Motsepe League‚ Malepe has been linked with a move to Pirates.“I will hear from Ivan Malahlela – my mentor‚ my trainer‚ my everything. He will tell me which team to go to‚” the teen said.“For now‚ I’m still relaxed and I’ll hear from him in good time. For now‚ I don’t know if he will confirm things with Pirates.”The U-23s‚ who meet Japan away in a friendly on Wednesday‚ faced a stern test from Botswana to lift the Cosafa Cup.SA played with their best shape‚ working hard to eliminate earlier defensive errors against a Zebras side fighting for everything‚ and with a focus that showed how importantly the South Africans viewed the game in the build-up to Rio 2016. “It was an important game for us. We know it’s not going to be easy in Brazil‚ so winning the final boosted our confidence‚” Motupa said.“You could see that we fought hard. It was not an easy game. But I think we did well.“We worked on our defensive mistakes every day and I think you saw the results in the final. We’ve improved but I believe we have a lot we can still improve on before the Olympics.”South Africa meet Japan’s Olympic team at General Sports Stadium Alwin in Matsumoto at 2pm in the early hours of Thursday morning SA time. - TMG Digital..

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