A journey of faith and fight - Ngezana on the road to international recognition

The towering defender is currently living his dream at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), representing Bafana Bafana on the continent’s biggest stage.

Now in his third season with Romanian giants FCSB, Ngezana has cemented himself as a key figure at the club, featuring regularly in domestic competitions as well as in the UEFA Europa League...

"Being in the national team comes with a lot of expectations and it's a high price you have to pay to play here. A lot of players would've wanted to be here, so we try to apply ourselves as best as we can to make the nation proud."

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In Bafana Bafana’s opening two group matches against Angola and Egypt, Ngezana formed a solid central defensive partnership with Mbekezeli Mbokazi — one of SA football’s breakout stars.

Mbokazi’s rapid rise has already earned him a move to Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States, and Ngezana is enjoying their growing partnership under coach Hugo Broos...

"The boys are well prepared and the mood in the camp is good, we are going to apply ourselves and give everything on the pitch.

"TLB does make your job easier, and it's his time to shine and I'm obviously there to supply a bit of experience and manage the situations. The most important thing for us from now on, is to win games."

While this may be Ngezana’s first AFCON with the senior side, international tournaments are not unfamiliar territory.

He was part of the South Africa U23 squad that qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, an experience that helped shape his understanding of football at the elite level...

Now 28, and with more than 109 appearances for FCSB across all competitions, Ngezana believes maturity has been the key to his evolution.

Reading the game better, making smarter decisions and continuing to work on areas of improvement remain his focus as he looks to take his game — and Bafana Bafana — to even greater heights...

"As a player, you grow, and the more you go outside the more you see life in a different way, and you see football in different ways. It helped me a lot, not only to grow as a player but also as a human being."