At the moment, there is no better meteoric rise story than that of Orlando Pirates' Thabiso Sesane, who is a few hours of sleep away from potentially living his dream.
Sesane wants to walk in the footsteps of his role model, Thulani Hlatshwayo, who is a former Buccaneer and ex-Bafana Bafana captain.
Though just 24 years old, Sesane plays like a seasoned campaigner, with a cool header and calm on the ball, to the point that he is likened to Mbulelo “Old John” Mabizela, who is regarded as one of the best central defenders to come out of Mzansi.
“I grew up watching Thulani Hlatshwayo and he is the one who inspired me,” said Sesane, as he hopes to get the nod in Hugo Broos’ starting line-up against the Republic of the Congo on Friday.
READ: Latest addition Sinoxolo Kwayiba set to become household name says Chippa teammate Justice Chabalala
South Africa host the Congo Brazzaville at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Sesane, a rookie in the team, will be competing with Grant Kekana, Nkosinathi Sibisi and Rushwin Dortley for a place in the line-up.
Whether he gets a chance to play or not, Sesane is proud of his journey that has led him to be a colossal player in Jose Riveiro’s Pirates and is now part of the Bafana set-up.
“I am happy to be here and I am not here by fluke. I have been working hard and my dream was to represent my country. What I can do now is to work hard,” said Sesane.
“I have been listening to my teammates and working hard because it is not easy to be selected. I have worked hard to be here and [one thing that will keep me here] is to play more games and listen to the coaches and not think I have arrived,” he added.
Sesane’s teammate at both club and country, Sipho Chaine, has nothing but a bucket full of praises for the former Jomo Cosmos defender.
“I think he’s grown up to be a very big boy within a very short space of time and he is a good guy and the most important thing is that he listens a lot and he is a very good listener and he takes a lot of information and that has made him grow so fast,” said Chaine.
“That is why his progress has been so big. It is a very good opportunity for him and he knows what it means for himself and his family.
“To be here, he worked very hard and it is now just for him to believe in himself and strive everyday. He is on a good move to be a good player,” the Pirates goalkeeper added.
Bafana Bafana players interact with fans who attended their training session at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Wednesday.
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) October 9, 2024
🎟 are still available to the AFCON qualifier between 🇿🇦 and Congo Brazzaville on Friday. #BafanaPride #AfconQualifier pic.twitter.com/9bp4eJrB0R
