His father, the late Kaizer Chiefs dribbling wizard Emmanuel “Scara” Ngobese was the darling of South African football who possessed skill, flair and mostly his defence-splitting passes.
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It’s rather sad and unfortunate that “Black Jesus” had not fully reached his potential by the time he passed on in 2010, as almost every football lover in the country would not begin any football topic about some of South Africa’s greatest footballers of all-time without mentioning Scara’s name.
The late former Chiefs development graduate had amassed just over 30 club appearances when Tuberculosis cut his promising career short at the age of 29 – a month before the biggest football spectacle in the world, the FIFA World Cup, took centre stage on South African soil.
And now, Lwandle “Scara” Ngobese is determined to not only follow in his father’s footsteps, but to emulate him and continue his legacy.
Ngobese Jnr is a future star in the making having joined up with the Bafana United Soccer Academy where he plies his trade for the Under 15 side, previously established and based at Nqutu oBengwane in KwaZulu-Natal in 1997 before the academy relocated to Gauteng in 2008.
Lwandle is a spitting image of his late talented dad. He is tall, boasts a deadly left foot and operates on the left flank just as his late father did. The only minor difference is that he dons the iconic number 10 jersey while his dad was among the late great Chiefs players who made the number 11 jersey a household name at the Naturena-based club.
The 14-year-old is already destined for greatness with his leadership skills as captain of his team, and has subsequently grabbed a few accolades under his belt at such a tender age.
Opera News Sports Content Editor, Kassian Cliffird Thudinyane managed to track down Lwandle’s mentor, Sibonelo Sithole, the Head Coach and Chairman at the academy, who gave an insight on how the talented youngster eventually joined up with his academy, his upbringing and the future plans they have for him.
KCT: How did you discover Lwandle?
SS: “Scara” was just 11 years old when he came and ask to join the team because the majority of our players are staying near his place in Thokoza (A South African township in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng).
KCT: Under whose care is he currently?
SS: Grandmother. His mother also passed away when he was young. He was raised by his grandmother.
KCT: What school grade is he currently in?
SS: He is in Grade 9 at Tisetsong Secondary School.
KCT: What are Bafana United Soccer Academy’s future plans for Lwandle?
SS: Our plan is to take him to Kaizer Chiefs or Mamelodi Sundowns after he has completed his passport thing. But I want to see him signing a professional contract because he is a complete player.
Whether he one day gets to turn out for Amakhosi and relives his father’s memory in the eyes of the Khosi faithful or chooses a different path remains to be seen.
WATCH: Click on this link below to see “Scara” scoring a cracker from way outside the left flank:
https://www.facebook.com/Bafana-United-Soccer-Academy-794539300659701/videos/818525239087824