A local scout was thrilled with what they saw from an AmaZulu youngster at the Engen Knockout Challenge in KwaZulu-Natal, comparing the talented teenager to Teko Modise.
PLAYER PROFILE
Name: Bayanda Thabede
Club: AmaZulu FC
Position: Attacking midfielder
Age: 17
Preferred foot: Both
SCOUT REPORT
Attending the 2024 Engen Knockout Challenge in KZN this past weekend, AmaZulu U15 coach Taoni Banda praised young Bayanda Thabede. The talented attacking midfielder is believed to remind those watching him of South African legend Teko Modise, with Banda saying that seeing the teenager move through midfield was something to behold. Unfortunately for Thabede, Usuthu's U18 side were knockout of the tournament at the quarter-final stage, but his contribution was still noticeable to those on the sidelines, as Banda told Soccer Laduma.
Why does Thabede stand out, and who would you compare him to?
What we noticed about him is that he is a very skilful player, who is very creative as well, moves well with the ball, and very strong. Because when he has the ball, he just manoeuvres through opponents. He could have like three players on top of him, but he was like, what do you call it... a knife, a hot knife through butter. So his positioning and awareness is very good. Because when we watched him, we thought, as the selectors, this boy reminds us of Teko Modise. The way he moves and the way he manoeuvres and his awareness, his linking up with the team, attacking as well, taking good shots at goals. He was an outstanding player. The second game they were playing... that's where everybody started noticing him. Because he was on top of that team and then they eventually won 3-1 if I'm not mistaken.
Can you tell us about his personality?
His personality... he seems like a reserved person, because he doesn't talk much. He does most of his talking with the ball. He's not that type of a player who will command and talk and give instructions, no. He wasn't that type of a player. Unlike the other player in the same category. He was the quiet one, but he moves and scans well. In terms of talking, he's not a vocal player.
What are your thoughts on the tournament as a whole?
For me, this tournament, I see it as a good investment in youth. Because each and every player, every young player, they look forward to making the squad for their teams to play in this tournament. Because for them, it's their opportunity to showcase their talent outside their teams and outside their LFAs. Because this tournament draws so much attention. There are scouts from all over. There are teams watching them, they support. Most of the boys, they are not used to playing in front of such supporters and crowds around them. So it's a good one for the boys. It's motivation for them as well.
