Keletso Makgalwa back in form with sights set on Bafana's AFCON campaign

For a player once described by Pitso Mosimane as potentially “one of the next superstars in the PSL”, Keletso Makgalwa has, by some measures, under-achieved. But it would be premature to classify the attacker as someone who failed to fulfil his potential.

At 28, Makgalwa is playing arguably the best football of his career and could well deliver on the promise Mosimane spotted when he promoted him from the academy to the Mamelodi Sundowns senior team.

A talisman for Sekhukhune United, he has now finally been recognised by Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos and could force his way into the South African squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. To do that, he will need to shine as brightly as he has at club level in Saturday’s friendly against Zambia in Gqeberha.

“I’d like to thank the coach for giving me the opportunity to be part of this amazing group,” the player, who became something of a journeyman after leaving Sundowns, told the media during Bafana Bafana’s arrival conference in Sandton.

Despite a promising start at Sundowns, Makgalwa struggled to establish himself and even dropped down to the second tier, playing for Upington City. He also had spells at TS Galaxy before finding a new lease on life at Sekhukhune under coach Eric Tinkler.

“I’ve been working very hard, working towards fulfilling the promise Mosimane saw in me,” he said, admitting that his early career had been tough.

“It was not easy, to be honest. Playing for such a big team as Sundowns, it was not easy to break into the first team, but coach Pitso helped me so much to get to where I was at that time. And now I think I am getting closer to that.”

Makgalwa believes his career trajectory would have been even better had it not been blighted by injuries.

“I really started well as a young boy from the Sundowns academy. I played at the Under-20 World Cup, I played in the Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations for the team that qualified for the Olympics.

"It was a wonderful journey, but then I struggled with injuries, especially after winning the treble with coach Pitso. There were many setbacks after that, hence I went to seek game time elsewhere.

"I went to Upington because I wanted to start afresh and I told myself: ‘One day I want to be at Bafana Bafana’ and come back very strong.”

He has done exactly that. Makgalwa enjoyed such a superb campaign last season that he was nominated for the league’s two biggest awards – Player’s Player of the Season and Footballer of the Season. He had a slow start to the current campaign but has now found his rhythm, enough for Broos to take notice.

“I did not start the season very well, unlike last season when I had the best season of my career. So I had to change my mentality here and there because the team was planning around me. I had to adjust with the help of Coach Eric, and now I am performing well.”

Well enough to make it into the national team. Now he must do enough to impress Broos and secure his spot for Morocco, fulfilling Mosimane’s bold pronouncements from all those years ago.