MIGHTY Eagles FC duo, central midfielder, Sikhusele Joyi, and Papama Tyongwana (left wing), have joined Chippa United’s MDC team.
The two Mthatha-based players were among the Mighty Eagles team that recently competed in provincial SAB League play-offs in June 2021, but unfortunately, the Eagles did not win the games.
Joyi and Tyongwana are expected to play an instrumental role in the Chilli Boys, as the team is looking to perform better this season. Last season, the Chilly Boys MDC team finished in sixth position on the log.
The duo joined Chippa United through their agent, Popo Sikhosane. They were invited for assessment and the team coaches were impressed and signed them last month.
This is a dream come true for the players as they had previously tried to join other professional teams but were unlucky.
The success of the two players will also boost their confidence and provide hope to other rural stars who are still dreaming of playing for professional teams in South Africa.
This is one of the bigger achievements, both for the Mighty Eagles FC, which was formed to prevent budding and talented stars from resorting to criminal activities because of lack of these opportunities in the rural areas.
Speaking to Mthatha Express, Sikhusele said, “When I heard that they were going to sign us, I was a really happy ‘grootman’.
“I started to believe again because I have had a few rejections from professional teams before coming here, so I was really happy and grateful for the opportunity,” he said.
“I never thought I’d play for iChippa. To me, this is a new chapter in my life that I am beyond grateful for, and I’m going to make sure that from here, it can only get better. I am hoping that soon I will be promoted to the first team,” Sikhusele added.
“I have learned that things take time. Football is an easy career path to take and we won’t all succeed at the same time, but we should learn to clap for others when their time has come and be motivated by those situations,” said Joyi.
