UNIVERSITY Sports South Africa (USSA) midfielder Thabang Chuene has set his sights on winning the Golden Boot at the 2018 SAB Under-21 Championships.
The 21-year-old second-year student in Public Governance stole the show yesterday on the second day of the Under-21 national champs at Umlazi’s King Zwelithini Stadium in KwaZulu-Natal.
Chuene became the man of the moment when he netted four goals as USSA embarrassed Western Cape 4-1. The Limpopo-born youngster described the victory as one of their most important so far, as it increases their chances of qualifying for the semifinals of the competition.
USSA have played three games, won two and lost one. In their final group stage match today they need at least a draw to qualify for the semis, as the two top teams in each group will progress.
USSA, who were the champions in 2016 and runners-up last year, want to repeat the feat they last achieved in Limpopo two years ago when they won the trophy.
Chuene said: “They always say it does not really matter how you start, what matters is how you finish. We had a slow start, losing our first match of the tournament 1-0 to Limpopo, but we managed to bounce back stronger in the second game.”
He continued: “After our opening match my teammates told me they were not satisfied with my performance and I tried harder in the second game, scoring one goal.
“I was still finding my rhythm. And now I feel overwhelmed after scoring four.”
Last year’s top scorer, Yusuf Bunting, who played for Gauteng, scored 12 goals in five matches, including a hat-trick in the final. And Chuene who was part of the team that lost to Gauteng in the final last year, has set himself the challenge of achieving the same feat or even surpassing Bunting’s goal tally.
He added: “I have five goals now and I can get some more if we do well and make it to the final.”
No club has qualified for the semifinals yet, which makes the last matches taking place today from 11am all the more interesting, as they will determine which four teams will be going through to the next round.