The impressive progress that is being made by Orlando Pirates' new sensation Azola Tshobeni is exciting his mentor who has been there since the player's career started as a kid.
After being given a professional debut on the weekend by Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer in the Maritzburg United match, Tshobeni was again in the starting line-up on Tuesday as the Buccaneers drew 1-1 with TS Galaxy at Orlando Stadium and did well.
With the 18-year-old player's performances in the star-studded Bucs currently being the talk of the town, the man who spotted his talent as a kid and took him under his wing to nurture his skills to be the refined athlete that he is now proving to be, Augusto Palacios, is very proud about the journey of the attacking midfielder.
"Azola was part of our Academy since 2014. At 16 years old he was promoted to the Orlando Pirates Development Programme. He played two years for their MDC team and then promoted to the first team," reads a statement from the Augusto Palacios Apprentice Academy sent to the Siya crew.
"We congratulate him in his sterling debut for Orlando Pirates against Maritzburg United. We are super proud of all his achievements, including being chosen to the SA U17 national team where he played with another four players from the Augusto Palacios Apprentice Academy. This just shows the calibre of players that come out of the APAA. We wish Azola the best of luck in his professional career. He knows that the APAA'a doors and Prof Palacios' counsel and guidance are always available to him," read the statement.
