The Mamelodi Sundowns Youth Academy has produced top-class talent for many years and the factory continues with that process. There are numerous players that we can mention that have started their career with the youth setup, the likes of Harold Majadibodu, Nicholas Lukhubeni, Promise Mkhuma, Siphesihle Mkhize, Keletso Makgalwa, Sphelele Mkhulise, Musa Mdhluli and Percy Tau, who recently achieved his dream to play in the English Premier League as he made his debut for Brighton and Hove Albion.
One player that has been doing well in the Youth Academy is Cassius Mailula, he hails from a small town in Limpopo called Ga-Molepo. The 19-year-old was introduced to the Masandawana Youth Academy in 2016 after he was scouted at the Mandela Youth Challenge in Soweto where he won the Golden Boot Award and also took home the Player of the Tournament award.
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“I have learned a lot since I have been at the club from the first day I came here, I had to get out of my comfort zone as now I was young and had to be away from home and that is very challenging. At first, it wasn’t easy as I had to adapt to the languages that were spoken around me and at that time I could only communicate in English and later learned the languages,” said Mailula.
The Ga-Molepo born has been putting in some great performances for the DStv Diski Challenge under the tutelage of Coach Surprise Moriri.
Mailula also spoke about how he has grown as a player since joining the Brazilians, he mentioned that his game has improved technically and tactically but he feels that he needs to improve on his scoring ratio and him making the assists.
“It is motivating when I see a guy like Percy Tau, who was in the same set-up as me making waves in Europe and playing in the EPL. There are a lot of things that I have learned from him, his focus on his studies, his football and for me to use some of the things he has done, I feel I can emulate him or even do better. I want to follow in his footsteps, to achieve that I must work hard in the Diski Challenge and earn myself a promotion to the senior team,” said the youngster when he spoke about what “The Lion” has achieved.
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