Rookie relishes clash with Neymar
AS A fan of Spanish giants Barcelona, national under-23 midfielder Mothobi Mvala is relishing the prospect of facing Neymar in South Africa’s game against Brazil at the Olympics in Rio next month.
Mvala, 22, from Theunissen in the Free State forced his way into the team with some good performances for Highlands Park in the National First Division last season and will now live his dream of playing for his country at the biggest sporting event in the world.
Owen da Gama’s men play their opening match against hosts Brazil on August 4. Denmark and Iraq are also in the group. “I want to thank God and my coaches for an opportunity to represent my country. I am not scared of the challenge,” he said.
“I never thought I would play against Neymar. He dribbles and has good technique. I always watch him on YouTube and I know what he can do.
The first game will be important for us. We want to go back to our rooms with three points.”
Mvala was selected for the Cosafa Cup which was played in Namibia last month, but could not honour the call-up because he was involved in the relegation/promotion play-offs with Highlands, which they won.
Da Gama really wanted to have Mvala in the under-23s, so he called the player up for the friendly match against Japan just a few days after a youthful Bafana won the Cosafa Cup.
Mvala, who had never flown beyond South African borders before the trip to Japan, started the match that they lost 4-1.
“I was feeling down after that game against Japan and I was not sure if I would make the final squad because I started the game and we lost.”
Mvala was just six years old when the under-23s last competed at the Olympics in 2000, where they made history with a 3-1 win over Brazil in the group stage but still failed to advance to the knockout phase. “I have read about those Olympics because we did not have a TV at home. I used to watch TV next door.”