Katlego Tsiki Ntsabeleng returns to Mamelodi Sundowns: A homecoming story

Mamelodi Sundowns’ new attacker Katlego “Tsiki” Ntsabeleng is exactly where he’s always wanted to be — which is why he believes he’s made the perfect homecoming.

Ntsabeleng was unveiled as Sundowns’ latest signing this week after joining the club on a season-long loan deal from US-based outfit FC Dallas. While his arrival turned heads on social media, the 27-year-old is no stranger to the Brazilians.

Ntsiki made his football breakthrough in the club’s youth structures back in 2017 before moving on to rivals Kaizer Chiefs, where he spent some time in the reserves before heading to the US.

After impressing during spells with Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (CC University), Oregon State Beavers (Oregon State University) and FC Dallas — juggling between football and academics — he once received an offer to rejoin Sundowns. However, he wasn’t able to seize that opportunity due to various reasons, which is why he believes the timing is perfect this time around.

“It was not the first time that the call came in — I think it was in 2023 when it first happened,” Ntsabeleng said on the club’s Pitchside Podcast this week. “At the time, I was still trying to stabilise myself in the league. I wasn’t comfortable moving around. I was still trying to find my feet in the professional ranks.

“Not that I declined the offer; things just didn’t work out. When it came around the second time, I felt ready. I have always wanted to play for Sundowns. It’s a club that has always been close to my heart, especially since I was robbed of the chance to experience victory and joy here before.”

While Ntsabeleng believes that moving abroad was the best decision for his career after Chiefs didn’t offer him a professional contract, he admitted it wasn’t an easy process. He had to do a lot of convincing to gain his parents’ support and to get them to trust his agent at the time, Carl Tim.

“I was more excited than scared,” Ntsabeleng recalled. “My parents were more scared. I remember the first time I had to talk to him (Tim) on the phone, I put him on speaker. As soon as I said, ‘I’m with my parents,’ he hung up. My parents were like, ‘We knew it. It’s done.’ So, I had to talk to them again and get Tim to send me his family pictures and stuff like that.

“He also had to convince them through a phone call. But once the process started — which was quite long — I got my visa. I then moved to South Carolina. It was very humid and very hot. I arrived in August.”

Now older and wiser, Ntsabeleng returns to the Brazilians a different player compared to the teenager who once joined the club while still studying at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). He shared what he’s learned about staying at the top of his game, especially in a foreign environment.

“Obviously, you need talent,” Ntsabeleng said. “You need discipline and hard work. But also, sometimes, you just need to understand instructions.

“When you move abroad, you’ve got to adapt to the culture and the language. That’s when I think education plays a very big role. It helps you express yourself confidently, without doubting yourself.”