By Staff Reporter
Grey College, a traditional rugby and cricket school, is making a serious foray into football, and DStv Premiership top goal scorer Tshegofatso Mabasa is earmarked to play a pivotal role in the school’s quest.
Grey College’s Technical Director of Football, Monde Hlatshwayo, shared this significant development in an interview with the media.
As an alumnus of Grey College, Mabasa is not just planning to collaborate with the school but is actively working to promote football and produce more talent.
Hlatshwayo explained the plans of the Orlando Pirates’ leading striker.
‘’Yesterday I was with him. There’s a plan coming up between me and him, and once we have a solid plan, we will forward it to the school.
“He brought in very interesting suggestions towards football and him giving back to the school,” explained Hlatshwayo.
“Whenever he has a chance he always calls. We were in Jo’burg last year, he gave me a call, but unfortunately they were playing out of the province, and now when they played in Durban against AmaZulu, we were touring Durban.
“Unfortunately, he couldn’t leave the camp, but the interest of him coming to visit us was there. It is great to see that he is still in touch with us.”
Hlatshwayo, a former Bafana Bafana and junior national teams’ goalkeeper coach and technical team member, is the driving force behind Grey College’s football programme.
He further shared that Mabasa, who hails from Botshabelo just outside Bloemfontein and was at Grey at the same time as Springbok world champions Jan Goosen and Jan Serfontein, also remains a huge inspiration to the football boys at the school.
Grey College’s Technical Director of Football, Monde Hlatshwayo.
‘’I mostly use Tshego to inspire our first team boys as an example, to say that sometimes when things are not going your way, you must not lose hope,” he added.
“Looking back, Tshego didn’t even start for Pirates, he was sent out on loan. Even when he went to Swallows, I don’t think he had his best of times, but the opportunity was given to him to do what he loves the most, and he was recalled by Pirates, and continued to score goals.
“It’s a sign that it is possible when you put your work above everything.”
Grey College, once a bastion of traditional rugby, has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years. The school, which previously focused mainly on rugby and cricket, is now making significant strides in football, and Hlatshwayo, the visionary behind this project, says they have made substantial progress in this exciting new venture.
