Still making a difference

For all the flair and artistry that defines Jabulani Maluleke’s game, it is rather strange that he is a talent that never went through any recognisable development after both Orlando Pirates and BidVest Wits (then Wits University) both let him through the cracks.

All that Maluleke did in his teenage years growing up in Soweto was play for his neighbourhood amateur club Chiawelo Arsenal, before he was spotted by then Dynamos boss Mike Nkuna playing at the Godfrey Moloi Goodwill Games.

The year was 2001 and Maluleke was a 19-year-old schoolboy when he was drafted into a Chiawelo Select XI to play at the popular off-season tournament, which brought together all the best talents from the country’s biggest township.

“After Mr Nkuna saw me playing at the tournament he immediately came home and asked my parents if he could take me to Giyani to be assessed by the Dynamos coaches, where he was one of the directors,” Maluleke recalls.

“Since I was still at school doing my Matric, I only went there for a short while and then came back home. I went back to Dynamos to start my career in December 2001 when I had completed my schooling,” he recalls.

Prior to being spotted at the Goodwill Games, Maluleke had made the effort to get into both Pirates and Wits development teams, but was greeted with no luck.

“I HAD TRIALS AT PIRATES BUT BACK THEN I NEVER HAD PATIENCE.”

“I had trials at Pirates but back then I never had