Maku dreams of playing in Europe after Afcon triumph

Lazola Maku, one of the players who was instrumental in Amajita’s historic Afcon triumph, has high hopes that he impressed football talent scouts in Egypt as he aims to move to Europe as soon as he can.

Maku, an 18-year-old grade 12 pupil at Noordwyk Secondary School in Midrand, also made the best XI of the tournament as Amajita clinched their first-ever Under-20 Afcon championship, beating Morocco 1-0 in the final in Cairo on Sunday.

“This Afcon should be a stepping stone for me,” Maku told Sowetan at OR Tambo International Airport after the team’s arrival from Egypt on Tuesday.

“Our coaches told us before the tournament that there were going to be agents and scouts from all over the world scouting us, so I have high hopes that I impressed and I will find myself in a better place in the future.

“Like any other youngster, my dream is to play in Europe. I want to move [there] now. Moving to Europe early really helps because you get to be exposed to a lot of things and you get to grow there while age is still on your side.”

The lad from Westlake in Cape Town came through the Ubuntu Cape Town Academy, before SuperSport United, his current team, signed him last June.

Maku is admired for his ball-winning abilities, tactical discipline and strong defensive presence, anchoring the midfield and protecting the back four, despite his rather diminutive frame. 

The central midfielder, who skippered the SA Under-16 side in the past, rarely ventures forward as his big attribute is breaking up play and initiating attacks from deep.

Maku said winning Afcon was a “privilege” for Amajita.

“For me, it’s a privilege to win Afcon because we’ve made history, especially because SA lost to Morocco 1-0 in 1997 and we won against Morocco 1-0 to lift the trophy,” Maku said.

“Being in the best XI shows how much character I have as a person and as a football player – so, for me, it’s a real honour to achieve this.”

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