A rising soccer star from Hlalanikahle, Banele Hlatshwayo, is making waves in the local soccer scene, capturing the hearts of many and bagging some trophies.

The 16-year-old said his exciting football journey kicked off in 2015, and it has been a walk of continued growth and limitless opportunities as he continues to follow his passion.

Banele is currently playing for Witbank Citylads and has been excelling in the sport, earning himself an award for being the young promising player in the Emalahleni Local Football Association last year.

He has also played against big teams, played in the South African Breweries league and in the ABC Motsepe Foundation, but notably, he also formed part of the winning team, Stars of Africa, that was crowned the IBER Cup International Tournament Champions 2024.

Recently, Banele scored his first brace in the ABC Motsepe league for Citylads.

“As his coach, I’m super proud of him. Banele’s performance has been good. He is really coming along alright for a 16-year-old in such a league,” said his coach, Thomas Choma.

This year, he’ll be continuing to play in the ABC Motsepe league for Witbank Citylads.

“We believe big teams will come knocking as he matures into the more competitive leagues. Only time will tell,” his coach said.

Drawing his inspiration from great players such as Relebogile Mofokeng from Orlando Pirates, Banele said he plans to continue working hard to get better at the sport so that he can become like his role models one day.

“I’m really grateful to my family, especially my father, my coach, and my friends, for their continued support in my football journey,” the rising star said.

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