A former South Africa youth international midfielder has opened up about how ex-Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates star Teko Modise inspired his journey in the game.
Thembelani Majingo, once a promising product of the now-defunct Platinum Stars academy, reminisced his early playing days alongside current stars Kobamelo Kodisang and Gift Links.
Majingo, Kodisang, and Links all came through the ranks at Dikwena, forming a formidable trio in the club’s youth structures.
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Kodisang went on to join Bidvest Wits before moving to Portuguese side Sanjoanense in 2018, while Links signed with Egyptian club Alassiouty SC (now Pyramids FC) in the same year.
Platinum Stars were sold and rebranded as Cape Umoya United in 2018 and Majingo was part of the new team. However, he featured in the 2018/19 season and released ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.
Now playing for Botswana Premier League side VTM FC, Majingo still dreams of returning to South African football. He credits Modise with motivating him throughout his career.
"I had all the skills, the hunger, hardwork and everything to reach a certain level of my career, my heart still bleeds because of I've never reached my full maximum potential," Majingo told KickOff.com.
"I believe, if I had all the necessary support, I was one of the few players who where still in development but were compared to players playing first team at platinum Stars.
"I believe I would have became the next Teko Modise, I know I was good and I liked how he played, from Primary school, representing the school I was wearing jersey 11.
"I was big fan of the him, even throughout the ranks of platinum Stars Development I wore the same number because of him.
Despite his current distance from the spotlight, Majingo remains hopeful. He acknowledges the achievements of his former teammates, Kodisang now at Sundowns, and Links plying his trade in Denmark with Aarhus GF.
"I formed the best trio at Platinum Stars Development with Gift Links and Kobamelo Kodisang, you can see where they are now, I am the unfortunate one, we went all the way to win SAB League while we were 15, 16 years in 2014, I even became a top goal scorer,"
"By that time I was probably down and out after we came to mutual agreement between me and Cape Umoya United, even thou prior to termination the bosses of the team including coach Roger De Sa didn't want me to leave cause they were regarding me as one for the future.
"Seeing the players that I played with marking it abroad was a real motivation for me because it shows how best I was or I am to have played with players who made it to as far as Denmark and Portugal.
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"One element that kept me going was the recognition and the respect I got from the guys, I know our ways and fortunes are not the same but what was pushing me is I know wherever the gents are they respect me as one of the best ballers they came across during their journey.
"Maybe one day I will get that chance to play for South African teams, only God knows, but I'm still pushing here in Botswana, believing some of teams at home are keeping their eyes open on me.
