Ex-SuperSport United and Orlando Pirates shot-stopper Brighton Mhlongo has praised Kaizer Chiefs' triumph in the Engen Knockout Challenge, and was blown away by what happened in KwaZulu-Natal.
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After a disappointing 2023 Engen campaign for the Amakhosi, the team coached by David Mathebula were victorious following a 2-0 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns' U18 side in the final.
Chiefs were led by the promising Ofentse Kgosana, who was named the Player of the Tournament and was lauded by South Africa's U20 coach Karabo Mogudi in an exclusive interview with Soccer Laduma following his stellar performances in Johannesburg.
Ambassador for the Engen Knockout Challenge, Mhlongo, believes it was "truly remarkable" the way in which Chiefs returned to the tournament with such strength.
"In Joburg, Kaizer Chiefs came back from a dismal campaign last year when they got knocked out; they didn't even make it out of the group. For them to come back and win it the way they did is truly remarkable," he told Soccer Laduma.
Arguably the most impactful story of 2024, however, took place in KZN as Shayamoya FC's U18 team claimed the provincial title perhaps to everyone's surprise. Stating their intentions early on, Shayamoya produced a memorable campaign and got their hands on the trophy for the first time.
Mhlongo was among those who were blown away by the unexpected yet incredible scenes at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and gave credit to the Engen tournament for the opportunities it creates for young and aspiring players.
"KZN is a success story that was never heard of before. We have Shayamoya where, out of nothing… these guys, they said it during the media launch, that they want to beat AmaZulu and go all the way to win the tournament, and everyone laughed them off and thought 'OK, who are these guys?' he continued.
"And they went on to win it, so these are the stories we want to see. These are the things we want to talk about! These are the moments we want to share and say 'It is your moment for anyone and everyone, you can become the next big thing!'
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"Credit must go to Engen because without these kinds of opportunities, I don't think we'd have the Relebohile Mofokengs of this world or the Ronwen Williams of this world."
