Lebo Moloto: I still want to play for Bafana

by Graeme Jackson

Thursday May 21, 2020. 16:00

South African attacking midfielder Lebo Moloto, who plies his club trade in the United States, has revealed that he still dreams of representing Bafana Bafana.

The 29-year-old plays for Colorado-based FC Tulsa in the USL Championship (the U.S. second tier division, below Major League Soccer) and featured for South Africa’s U-17 team when he was still on the books of Bidvest Wits in the mid to late 2000s.

He was named the player of the tournament at the Cosafa U-17 Championships in Namibia in 2007.

“I still have ambitions of playing for Bafana Bafana but at the same time I can only control what I can control‚ which is to do well for myself and my team here in the U.S. and hopefully someone will be watching‚” said Moloto, as quoted by The Sowetan.

He added, “All I can do is to keep pushing and doing well on the field‚ if someone will be watching then that will be great.

“I haven’t heard anything from the Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki but one of the best football moments for me was representing my country at Under-17 level.

“It only happened at youth level but there are so many people who didn’t get that opportunity.

“It was an absolute honour to be given that opportunity to represent my country and if another call-up comes my way‚ it would be great.

“At the same time if another call-up doesn’t come I’ll still be honoured that I had the opportunity of representing my country at Under-17 level.”

Moloto also revealed that the prospect of ending his playing career in South Africa is one he has given much thought to.

“If somebody approaches me and the contract is good‚ I will definitely consider it. I feel like I have missed out because a lot of people don’t know who is Lebo Moloto back home,” he explained.

“The only people who know me are those I played with at my former clubs at Wits and at the Under-17 national team like Kamohelo Mokotjo‚ Ramahlwe Mphahlele and Thulani Serero.

“I have talked about this with my wife who has been coming to SA every year for the past few years and she loves it.

“I would love for my two kids to have a little bit of the South African thing in them when they grow up because I am South African.”