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'I still have ambitions of playing for Bafana‚' says US-based attacking midfielder Lebo Moloto

US-based South African footballer Lebo Moloto says he would one day love to play in the Premier Soccer League so that his two kids can have a "South African thing in them".
US-based South African footballer Lebo Moloto says he would one day love to play in the Premier Soccer League so that his two kids can have a "South African thing in them".
Image: Lebo Moloto/Facebook

US-based South African attacking midfielder Lebo Moloto has revealed that he still habours dreams of donning a Bafana Bafana shirt.

The 29-year-old Moloto‚ who plays for Colorado-based FC Tulsa in the USL Championship‚ represented South Africa at Under-17 level while he was still a junior at Bidvest Wits and moved to the United States about ten years ago.

“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 US and hopefully someone will be watching‚” said Moloto.

Moloto played with the likes of Thulani Serero‚ Kamohelo Mokotjo‚ Ramahlwe Mphahlele‚ Tshepo Gumede‚ Siyanda Xulu and Doctor Mampuru during his days in the Under-17 national team.

He was coached by Serame Letsoaka and Tebogo Moloi at the national team and in 2007 was named the player of the tournament at the Cosafa U17 Championships in Namibia where SA lost to Zimbabwe on penalties in the final.

The attacking midfielder has consistently earned rave reviews for his creativity in the middle of the park in the US second tier league.

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

"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 has not ruled out the possibility of returning to end his career at home.

“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.

"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.”