Football injuries can at times diminish a footballer’s career, others take months and even years to reach their peak after injury, but with Tebogo Mandyu he believes with no pain, there is no gain in football. We take a look at this talented young footballer.
Born and bred at Zeerust, a small town situated between Rustenburg and Mafikeng, Tebogo Mandyu is a third-year BSc Computer Science student at the University of Johannesburg. He dons the number 14 jersey and for him football is everything.
“Football means a lot to me,” said the young talented playmaker. “Growing up I’ve always dreamed of playing at the highest level and it is a dream that I am working hard to realise.”
Tebogo is slowly fulfilling his dreams and he has the awards and achievements to prove it. In 2008, he was selected to be part of the U17 Mafikeng district team that went to Brazil. At the time, he was the youngest member of that team. While in Brazil he got the opportunity to join Olé Brasil FC U13s and went on to win the league that season.
Upon his return to South Africa, he decided to focus more on his studies and complete his matric. The most recent awards he received were being named 2015 UJ Football Player of the Year and Players Player of the Year – the highest accolade in university football.
However, what makes Tebogo such a brilliant and determined player is not his awards on and off the pitch, it’s the will power and sheer strength of character he showed when he suffered a horrific ankle injury that threatened to end his young footballing career.
He fractured and dislocated his right ankle, had to go for an operation and was out for almost six months. Now, what should be acknowledged was his speed in recovery and how quick he went from the sidelines, to rehab, to working hard in training and winning the UJ’s Player of the season the same season he suffered the injury that threatened to destroy his career.
The phrase no pain no gain is a phrase Tebogo can relate to, but his instant rise up the pecking order shows how in life, you should never give up and always work hard to better yourself. Tebogo says, “In the next five years, I want to see myself playing at the highest level, but firstly I want to complete my studies because football is a short term career so I need to have something fall back on.”
By Nkosinathi Shazi
