Fresh from a successful trial in Austria, Maku leads Amajita’s COSAFA title defence

Maku is now temporarily back home to help the Southern African men’s U20 national football team defend its COSAFA Championship title in Mozambique from this coming weekend. Maku, who was also part of the Amajita team that won its maiden U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in Egypt last year, returns home excited after what he calls a successful trial with three different clubs in Austria.

"Ja, obviously my trial in Austria was very successful. It was very good, and ja, my fitness levels are good. I've had a good pre-season. For me, the most important thing I learned there from my trial in Austria was learning the new side of things because when I was there," said Maku.

I would say being a professional at an early age is really important. This can also help us as South African players to start having that mentality of saying you're not young anymore, so you must start acting like a professional at a very young age. When you go that side, you have to be professional and adapt to the system"

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Maku went on trial with three different clubs in Austria, namely SV Ried, newly promoted Austrian second-tier outfit FC Wacker Innsbruck, and Rapid Vienna. The Cape Town-born pint-sized midfielder, who has family origins in Qumbu in the Eastern Cape, says they were already calling him N’golo Kante, likening him to the World Cup-winning star of the French national team, because of his height and style of play.

It will not be the first time that Maku wears the armband at Amajita, having occasionally led the team during last year’s AFCON in Egypt. But now, it’s an honour for the Ubuntu FC academy player to lead his nation.

Maku is not the only player with experience from the previous Amajita squad. With Kaizer Chiefs' first-team goalkeeper Takalani Mazhamba, Kgomotso Madiba, who is at Fluminense in Brazil, and Cape Town City sensation Emile Witbooi. He believes that this experience is going to be key in this new team.