Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Mduduzi Shabalala says it’s everyone’s dream to represent their national team and he’ll work tirelessly to make it a reality.
Shabalala, 21, has been part of the U17, U20, and Cosafa national team set-ups and has now been named in the preliminary squad by Hugo Broos for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Nigeria next month.
While the squad will be trimmed down to 23, Shabalala is aiming to impress in the remaining match against Golden Arrows before the upcoming FIFA International break.
“It’s everyone’s dream to play for Bafana Bafana, to represent their national team, so for me I just need to work really hard in the next two games,” Shabalala said.
“So, I can put myself in the team – it’s not easy, you have seen how well the team has been performing, the consistency around everyone and the players [selections].
“So, it’s about me doing my job, waiting for the right moment and I believe if the right moment is now, it will happen now.
“As an attacking midfielder, you always want to score, create chance and have assists, so numbers are very important in this game, for any player – so I’m working on that and working on getting more goals and assists.”
Shabalala has scored eight goals with five assists in 80 games across all competitions for Chiefs, since being promoted to the senior set-up in 2022.
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