Some names do not allow their owners to slacken. Take Thalente Mbatha, the 24-year-old whose name which means ‘talent’.
Mbatha has had a surreal year. He has become an integral part of the Orlando Pirates team after arriving at the club in January from SuperSport United on loan.
Mbatha was so good at Pirates that he won the Nedbank Cup and helped the team finish second in the Premiership – a feat that was rewarded with a permanent move. The midfielder continued to blossom this season, helping Pirates reach the MTN8 final, their third in a row, and second round of CAF Champions League preliminaries.
His exploits didn’t go unnoticed as he caught the eye of Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos, who handed him his first call-up for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers.
Bafana will open their qualifying campaign with a clash at home to Uganda today (6pm kick-off) before visiting South Sudan on Tuesday (3pm kick-off). Mbatha is cock-a-hoop over his maiden call-up and knows the importance of working hard if he is to live up to his lofty billing this season.
“It’s a dream come true for me to be here,” Mbatha said of his fist call-up to the national team this week.
“I would like to thank God Almighty. The one thing I can say is hard work beats talent. If you work hard, it is going to pay off.
“You might have the talent but if you don’t work hard some things will lack here and there. But if you match talent with hard work, then I believe that you are going to get somewhere.”
Given his seamless adaptation at Pirates, a lot of people have been asking what went wrong for Mbatha at SuperSport United under coach Gavin Hunt. Mbatha opened up about the expectations of the revered tactician, insisting he wanted more from the player, especially going forward.
“I feel like I was lacking a bit of enthusiasm. That’s what he (Hunt) said to me, (that) and to press more,” said Mbatha.
While Mbatha has clearly heeded Hunt’s advice at Pirates, as he’s a regular in coach Jose Riveiro’s team, it will take some time before he establishes himself at Bafana.
Not that Broos doesn’t believe in his qualities. The Belgian waxed lyrical about Mbatha, believing he brings a different dimension to his set-up.
However, with Broos’ tried and tested midfield duo Teboho Mokoena and Sphephelo Sithole fully fit for the match, they’ll likely start against Uganda and South Sudan.
Mbatha, though, is not rushing himself. He’s soaking up all the chances to improve his game, especially in the CAF Champions League where they’ll face Jwaneng Galaxy in the second preliminary round.
“Playing in the Champions League has helped me a lot, especially getting to experience another level of football. The Champions League is not an easy level to play at,” he said.
“So, I think that it is something that is going to help me going forward, getting the experience and learning more about the soccer industry.”
Should Mbatha continue to keep his feet on the ground, and embody his name, he could be lost to South African football as English Football League side Cardiff City are said to be keeping tabs on him.
Mbatha is not in a hurry to leave Pirates, though, saying when the time is right the club will decide on his future. For now his focus is only on doing his best on the pitch.
“I just got a contract at Pirates, so I think everything I’m doing, I’m doing it for Pirates, and they are the ones that will decide what will happen in the near future,” he said.
If his start at Pirates is anything to go by, along with his work ethic and desire to improve, that future will include a move to Europe and more caps for Bafana as Mbatha's star keeps rising.