In the clubhouse

News from around the PSL

WHAT do Thabo Mnyamane and Orlando Pirates midfielder Thabo Rakhale have in common? To begin with, they have the same name and they are from the same township, Sebokeng. And there is more. If reports are anything to go by, the two Thabos might well become teammates, with Pirates tracking the University of Pretoria striker – but Kaizer Chiefs might have other ideas as they are also monitoring his progress. “It has always been about chasing the dream. Our coach at Junior Lions, Paseka Moqholosane, pushed us a lot to focus on our studies and football,” he recalls. “I was very emotional when I was called up to the Bafana Bafana squad, because as a young black child that was my dream – to don the national team jersey,” he says. Mnyamane and Rakhale have travelled pretty much the same path. “I have known [Rakhale] from my days when we played for Junior Lions,” the 22-year-old AmaTuks marksman says. Rakhale is two years older than Mnyamane and the latter has followed in the footsteps of his ‘big brother’, as he calls him, with both graduating with Sports Science diplomas from the North West University. Mnyamane has produced outstanding performances this season for AmaTuks. He was named the PSL’s Player of the Month for November and December and was called up to the Bafana Bafana squad that played Swaziland and Nigeria in friendlies in March. Mnyamane says he has a former Bafana midfielder to thank for his positive attitude towards the sport. “Coach [Augustine] Makalakalane allowed us to play freely [at the North West University Institute]. I benefitted a great deal from and I always spoke to him one-on-one. “He taught me a lot about the game and he taught me a lot off-the-field as well,” Mnyamane says. “He reminded me that the same supporters who can cheer you on are the same supporters who can criticise you.”