South Africa U23 Olympic Team captain Tercious Malepe has urged the country to rally behind the team as they aim to secure gold at the Tokyo Olympics.
The 24-year-old will become the first-ever male South African footballer to participate in two consecutive Olympic games, with Brazilian Neymar the only other male footballer to achieve this honour.
Malepe was part of the Rio 2016 Olympics and will bring his experience to the new squad when he leads the team against Japan in the opening match of Tokyo 2020 on Thursday.
David Notoane’s side were drawn in Group A at the Olympics alongside powerhouse France, host nation Japan and Mexico.
“Hi, this is Tercious Malepe, captain of South Africa. I would like to take this time to thank the South African citizens who are supporting us all the way,” Malepe said on Team South Africa’s Twitter page.
“We are here in Tokoyo and we are preparing ourselves for the first game against Japan on Thursday.
“I believe you guys are behind us and all we can do is give our best on the field of play and show that we can bring good results.”
A message from SA u/23 football captain Tercious Malepe. The boys are back in training and in good spirits 🙌🇿🇦@SAFA_net #TeamSA #Tokyo2020 #BringingBackUbuntu pic.twitter.com/5Rfk2Cf5pr
— Team South Africa (@TeamSA2020) July 20, 2021
