Mandla Masango facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mandla Grateful Masango | ||
| Date of birth | 18 July 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Kwaggafontein, South Africa | ||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||
| Playing position | Right winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Mega Force | |||
| HP Silver Stars | |||
| Walter Stars | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2007–2015 | Kaizer Chiefs | 105 | (11) |
| 2015–2018 | Randers FC | 29 | (7) |
| 2017 | → SuperSport United (loan) | 13 | (3) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2006 | South Africa U-17 | 3 | (2) |
| 2009 | South Africa U-20 | 4 | (1) |
| 2011 | South Africa U-23 | 3 | (3) |
| 2013– | South Africa | 13 | (3) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
|||
Mandla Greatful Masango (born July 18, 1989) is a South African footballer. He played as a right winger for Randers in Denmark. Mandla also played for South Africa at different youth levels. He became a full international player in 2013.
Contents
Mandla Masango's Football Journey
Playing for Clubs
Mandla Masango has played for several football clubs. He started his professional career in South Africa. Later, he moved to play in Denmark.
Time at Kaizer Chiefs
Mandla joined Kaizer Chiefs in 2007. This was just before the 2007–08 Premier Soccer League season began. He played his first game on August 15, 2007. In that game against Thanda Royal Zulu, he scored the first goal. Kaizer Chiefs won the match 2–0.
Mandla slowly became a regular player for the team. He played ten league games in the 2009–10 season. The next season, 2010–11, he played 20 league games. He also scored in a 2–0 win against Mpumalanga Black Aces in 2010.
In the 2012–13 season, Kaizer Chiefs won both the league and a cup. Mandla played nine league games that season. In 2013–14, he played his first CAF Champions League game. He scored a fantastic scissor kick goal in a 3–0 win. He also scored a diving header in a cup match.
Mandla started the 2014–15 season very well. He scored two goals in a 4–0 win. This was in the MTN8 competition. He scored his first league goal of that season on August 13, 2013. He also scored a winning goal against Bloemfontein Celtic. On September 11, 2014, Mandla was named Player of the Month. He played in the MTN8 2014 Final, which Kaizer Chiefs won 1–0. In his last game for Chiefs, Mandla scored a header. This was on May 9, 2015, in a 2–0 win.
Moving to Randers FC
On August 13, 2015, it was announced that Mandla Masango would join Randers. He moved there for free. On August 30, 2015, Mandla played his first game for Randers. He scored the second goal in an 82nd-minute win. Randers won that game 2–0 against AaB.
How He Plays
Mandla Masango is a lean and quick player. He is known for being a right winger. This means he plays mostly on the right side of the field. He can also play as a secondary striker or an attacking midfielder. An attacking midfielder helps create goals from the middle of the field. People have said he is good at reading the game. He can also create space for his teammates. He is brave when he takes on defenders.
Off the Field
Mandla Masango is also focused on his education. He has a diploma in General Management. He is also studying project management. He attends Boston City Campus for his studies.
Playing for South Africa
Mandla Masango has played for the South African national team at different levels. He has a special record. He scored a goal on his very first game for every national team he played for.
Goals for His Country
Here are some of the goals Mandla scored for South Africa:
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 20 July 2013 | Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Ndola |  Lesotho |
1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 2. | 27 January 2015 | Estadio de Mongomo, Mongomo |  Ghana |
1–0 | 1–2 | 2015 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 3. | 25 March 2015 | Somhlolo National Stadium, Lobamba |  Swaziland |
3–1 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 4. | 5 July 2015 | Stade Anjalay, Belle Vue Maurel |  Mauritius |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2016 African Nations Championship qualification |
Youth Teams: U-17 and U-20
Mandla played three games for the South Africa U-17 team. He scored two goals. After that, he moved to the U-20 team. He played four games for the U-20 team. Three of these games were in the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He scored a goal in a warm-up match for the World Cup. This was against Germany U-20 in 2009.
Here are his U-20 appearances and goals:
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 September 2009 | Sportpark Husterhöhe, Pirmasens | Germany U-20 | L 6–1 | Friendly | 1 |
| 2 | 27 September 2009 | Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria | United Arab Emirates U-20 | D 2–2 | 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup | |
| 3 | 30 September 2009 | Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria | Hungary U-20 | L 4–0 | 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup | |
| 4 | 6 October 2009 | Ismailia Stadium, Ismailia | Ghana U-20 | L 2–1 | 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup |
Youth Teams: U-23
Mandla also played for the U-23 team. He scored on his first game for them. This helped South Africa qualify for the All Africa Games. He also scored in friendly matches against Mauritius and Botswana.
Senior National Team
Mandla made his first senior team appearance on July 17, 2013. This was against Lesotho. He scored in his second match for the senior team. This was in the 2013 COSAFA Cup against Lesotho. South Africa won 2–1 and finished third, earning a bronze medal.
Mandla was called up for the AFCON qualifiers. He played in a 3–0 win against Sudan and a 0–0 draw against Nigeria. Mandla scored an amazing goal against Ghana in the 2015 African Cup of Nations. This goal was compared to a famous goal by Colombia's James Rodriguez.
