When South Africa hosted the FIFA World Cup back in 2010, many expected the country to make strides in the game as the footballing extravaganza engulfed the nation for around two months. And when Spain lifted the trophy after denying Bert van Maarjwik's Oranje side its first ever World Cup title, hopes pertaining to coming close to doing the same someday amidst many South Africans lingered.
Citizens from the Nelson Mandela's once-apartheid stricken nation could only hope that they aren't left to celebrate someone else's victory the next time a World Cup is hosted by their country.
Six years on, a lot has changed. Not just for football in general, but indeed for South African football. The South African national side, also known as Bafana Bafana, have achieved little since 2010 and have failed to even take off properly after receiving a much-needed catapult. Their group-stage exit from 2015's African Cup of Nations and the failure of not making it to the top 16 of last year's tournament clearly suggests that things aren't going in the right direction.
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But, once we head down to youth levels, it’s worth noticing that the wheels are slowly turning and a certain amount of focus is being laid on development of players. And it’s through tournaments like the U-20 African Cup of Nations that youngsters will be provided the platform to showcase their mettle. And one of the few youth stars, who is making waves in the country already, is 19-year-old Kabelo Seriba.
A right-back for the South African Under-21s outfit, Seriba currently plies his trade with Latvian club FS Metta and is a youth product of South African club SuperSport United, which has links with Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur. After having made his debut for SuperSport United back in September 2015 as a 17-year-old, Seriba became a regular starter for the South Africa Under 17s and featured in the Under 20s African Cup of Nations in 2015.
Early days
"I started playing soccer at a very young age and navigated through development structures until I was spotted to attend SSU academy. It was at that point that my career took a step from one level to the next and as they say, the rest is history," said the right back, describing his journey in the game, which certainly hasn't been easy.
Kabelo has appeared thirty-one times for the Under 20s already, after making twenty showings for the Under-17 side. "After playing two years in the reserves league, I decided to move back home to assist my local team FC Zone Mavo, which is now playing in the ABC Motsepe League. While I was preparing to play, I received many offers and one of them was from FS Metta in Latvia," he added.
On his dreams
Much like any other youngster, who is aspiring to achieve big things in his footballing career, Seriba has come close to achieving one of his already, "As a youngster, I always dream about playing overseas and the opportunity offered by Metta fulfils my aims and objectives. I am planning to go and play for the team and contribute to their success. I am looking forward to the opportunity and it’s now a matter of time."
Apart from sounding like a down-to-earth individual, who thrives on keeping his feet on the ground and working hard, Seriba is a powerful individual. Despite being of a rather diminutive size, Seriba knows how to rattle opponents with his determination, hunger and willingness to work hard on the pitch. His pace on the ball, that plays a role in driving his side forward, is a vital trait in his armoury.
His agent - Giulio D'Alessandro, revealed that he has previously undergone a trial at Tottenham, who had picked up four players from the SuperSport United academy back in 2013. Giulio said: "He was on a trial at Tottenham back in 2013. We took him in Metta for free and he is going to be, in my opinion, one the best full-backs in the league. He is a side player, who is capable of playing as a right back and as well as right winger.“
“He is a powerful athlete, his best qualities are, for sure his speed, and his shock wave in the run. Even though he is a small size player, his muscle firmness allows him to challenge at the same level with bigger players.”
"At Metta, with Andris Riherts, the coach, who is doing an amazing work with young players, he will improve a lot tactically and technically, having the possibility to become a player eligible for European Top Leagues," continued Giulio.
Difficult childhood
"Being involved in sports is very challenging. You have to encounter some difficult times. My case is not different in any way. I come from an indigent family and I was raised by a single parent to a very structured life at an academy," Seriba pointed out when asked about what he has gone through to become the person that he is today.
"It was not easy at all, but I had to endure a lot of pain. But at the end of the day, it’s the pain that contributed to my growth."
Seriba, by the looks of it, has become accustomed to working hard so much that doing so has become a part of his life. He embraces grafting to achieve something, because it’s something that has made him the player he is today, after rising through humble backgrounds.
"I am not the type of player who undermines the game. It’s about performing every time and that's just me. I like to work hard every time. I am passionate about football and want to achieve more."
To be very honest, Seriba's willingness to have his socks pulled up whenever the need arises, ended up surprising me. He may not be a world-renowned superstar right now, but his approach to life and how he likes to lead his life is certainly inspiring. And the manner in which he goes about things, be it on the pitch or off it, goes to show the personality that he has.
A future star
Much like how he likes to outrun the opposition despite being smaller in size than most of them, Seriba knows how to face problems head-on, without giving up. With the work-ethic that he possesses and the amount of dedication that he has for achieving things, Seriba has all the makings of a future superstar and could one day realise his dream of playing for Barcelona.
His flair on the pitch certainly does make him a player to watch out for and we can only hope that this talented right-back goes onto to accomplish big things in the future.
