Mashiane biding his time to break into Sundowns first team
"I know that it can only happen if I put a lot of effort in the way I train and play," said the midfielder.
Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Ofentse Mashiane is hoping for more regular first team football. (Picture: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)
Breaking into the star studded Mamelodi Sundowns first team has proved to be some sort of a mountain to climb for many of the club’s academy graduates, with only a few making it and Ofentse Mashiane is aiming to be one of those who get regular in the first team.
ALSO READ: SuperSport coach Hunt names club captain
The 21-year-old midfielder is slowly biding his time to get more game time in the first team of Sundowns, as he spends most of his time in the reserves playing in the DStv Diski Challenge.
Mashiane has already got some taste of senior team football earlier this year during the team’s clash with Royal AM in the DStv Premiership. But knows there is still a long way to go, with the likes of Promise Mkhuma and Siphelele Mkhulise having had to dig deeper to be considered for first tier action and many others before like Percy Tau.
“I know that it is not easy to make it in the first team, but I want to get to a point where I play regularly with them. That is my wish and I know that it can only happen if I put a lot of effort in the way I train and play,” said the lanky midfielder.
“Another important thing that will help me is to listen to instructions and always give my best at training.”
Born in Soshanguve, Pretoria, playing for a local team means a lot for Mashiane and he knows he has to represent his people well. He says he gets a lot of support from people in his community and family.
“When you are from Pretoria and you play for Sundowns it really means a lot to our communities because they know that we are not only representing ourselves, but them as well,” he added.
