This youngster, born in 2008, looked so good at the 2024 Engen Knockout Challenge in Johannesburg that it left a local scout wondering why clubs such as Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns have not yet signed him.
PLAYER PROFILE
Name: Philani Mfeka
Club: Wits University
Position: Right-wing
Born: 2008
Player traits: Likes to take opponents on, likes to get shots on goal
SCOUT REPORT
In a chat with Soccer Laduma, University of Johannesburg head coach Karabo Mogudi, who also works as an assistant manager of South Africa's U20 national team, praised talented Wits University winger Philani Mfeka.
Tell us a bit about this youngster...
I've seen him in one game. One of the coaches gave me his profile, but they mentioned he is a right-winger who can also play on the left. Obviously good speed, and he's very good in one-vs-one. He's not afraid to take people on. You know, at Marks Park, where they played... if I'm watching a game at the top, I sit where I can see the games at the bottom. I remember one game, they (Wits University) won against TS Galaxy and he was the one who was making those crosses, his deliveries into the box. He's also got good scoring technique. Wits was very good at development. Unfortunately, when they were sold, a lot of these young men went all over. He started quite young at Bidvest Wits and he's played in the Engen for quite some time with Wits juniors, and guess what? He was the top goalscorer of the tournament in 2023. He was the top goalscorer at Wits juniors in 2022 and the total top goalscorer at the club in 2023. He is a winger who can score goals. How many do you have like that? Maybe [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Lionel] Messi. He can take people on with good speed, cut in and have shots on target. One of the Wits coaches told me, 'Jeez, this guy in the qualifying for the Engen, he basically hit the target almost all the time'. He never really misses the goal! His aim is to hit the target. He's done well in his development at Wits, and I said he has a good goalscoring technique and his profile tells us all of that. Two years in a row of him being a top goalscorer, so that tells you there is something in this boy that people must take notice of.
How old is Mfeka?
Don't fall off your chair now... he was born in 2008. This boy could possibly play in two more Engen tournaments, in 2025 and 2026. That tells you already that this boy is something else. When I look at these profiles as the assistant coach of the national U20 team, I'm always on the lookout for talent, even if they're just 15, 16 or 17 years old, and I think, when I look at this boy, if we have an U17 team playing qualifiers next year or whatever, I think he should be in that team. I'll definitely recommend him to that team. These are great accolades he has on his profile. He is just something else. You cannot look the other way. He is what we call a 'screaming talent'.
You cannot put a price on a young winger who always hits the target, can you?
When I was told that... I thought, 'And nobody has come in from Sundowns, Chiefs or SuperSport to come and take the boy away from Wits?' And I was told the guys don't know him yet, and I thought, 'Okay, well, I guess they will know him in the near future'. You see, in our country, we need proper statisticians to really track these players.
