By Buziwe Nocuze
- Tina Mbuma, 19, a learner at HTS Louis Botha, was selected for a football development tour to England in December.
- Mbuma needs R64,000 for the trip and is asking the public for help, after years of relying on soccer loans.
Tina Mbuma has been selected to play football in England. He does not have the R64,000 it will cost him to get there.
Mbuma, 19, is a learner at HTS Louis Botha in Bloemfontein. He is originally from Newrest in Sterkspruit, Eastern Cape, and was selected for the development tour after playing at the national Kloof tournament in Durban in June.
“I was selected at the national Kloof tournament held in Durban. This opportunity means a lot to me because my dream is to one day become a known professional football player,” Mbuma said.
He found out about his selection a week after returning from the tournament.
“We went back to school, and after a week, my school received an email informing them that I had been selected to go to England. This is a big achievement for me, and that is why I am asking for assistance from the public because going to England is a dream come true,” he said.
Mbuma grew up around the game. His mother owns a football team known for its dominant, hard-working players.
“I didn’t just play soccer; I grew up in it,” he said.
His family lost his father in 2019, and his mother has run the household since. Mbuma said money has always been tight.
“The hardest part of my journey is that it has always been loans to make sure that I have good soccer equipment,” he said.
Mbuma is on a five-year bursary that covers his transport, school fees, hostel and food. Because the bursary moved him from a mainstream school to a technical school, he had to start over with new subjects, which is why he is a grade behind other 19-year-olds.
His mother, Nomachule Mbuma, 62, said she was not surprised he was picked.
“I was not surprised by his selection because he’s someone who gives 100% when playing,” she said.
His coach at HTS Louis Botha, Lizo Liwela, has worked with him since 2023.
“He’s the set-piece specialist, his communication is on point, and he’s coachable. He has developed massively. Regarding the trip, we are so happy for him, and we are trying on our side, but we haven’t got any feedback,” Liwela said.
Mbuma leaves for England on 6 December.
Pictured above: Tina Mbuma from Sterkspruit in the Eastern Cape has been selected to go and play in England in December 2026.
Image source: Supplied
