Growing up in a family of football lovers, with his father and uncles being former footballers, CUT’s Oratile Mothibedi was predisposed to making the green turf his home.
Raised by his two grandmothers, Mothibedi joined CUT immediately after matriculating at HTS Louis Botha in Bloemfontein last year.
“My grandmothers taught me how to stand up for myself and acknowledge God’s presence in everything I do,” Mothibedi tells varsitysportssa.com.
Joining the CUT side as one of the younger players within a team of veterans, the 19-year-old considers humility a vital factor in success: “You have to be willing to learn from the senior players and be disciplined on and off the field. You also have to stay humble through compliments and criticisms.”
Going from high school to playing in front of capacity crowds during a competition of Varsity Football’s stature may be slightly intimidating for some players and Mothibedi reveals that he is no exception.
WATCH: How CUT’s Mothibedi and co. claimed the Bloem Derby
“It has been an overwhelming and nice experience because I always wanted to play, since 2017. I used to watch Skieda [CUT captain Keitumetse Mabathoana] playing, so I am grateful for the tournament for making it possible to study and pursue our football dreams,” Mothibedi adds.
Noting Tlou Segolela and Knowledge Musona as inspirations, Mothibedi dreams of playing for the South African national team and cracking it in the Belgian First Division, where Percy Tau is currently impressing.
When varsitysportssa.com asked him for advice for upcoming student-footballers, his words were simple: “Continue fighting for your dreams and focus on your academics because we are not guaranteed professional contracts.”
Mothibedi, who has had a taste of the professional environment at Bloemfontein Celtic, had a starring role in the derby against UFS when he walked away with the MTN Pulse Moment of Brilliance. As a result, he will be a marked man when CUT travel to three-time Varsity Football champions University of Pretoria this coming Thursday.
By Sam Styrax
