Orlando Pirates defender Innocent Maela has reflected on his meteoric rise which saw him go from playing in the NFD to being handed his Bafana Bafana debut in a matter of months.

The 25-year-old formed part of the team that defeated Zambia 2-0 to clinch the Four Nations tournament.  

The former Thanda Royal Zulu man revealed that he had always dreamed of representing his country, in addition, he reflected on his journey over the last few months.

‘It has always been a dream of mine to represent the country,’ Maela told his club’s website.

‘Ever since I was a small boy, I pictured myself playing for Bafana Bafana. When you play international football you face the best players that a country has to offer and you see a different level to your game.

‘The experience of being in the national team is priceless. I am grateful to the technical team for having the confidence in me and for giving me an opportunity to play.

‘Without them, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity to represent my country.

”I also want to thank the Bafana Bafana coach Mr. Baxter for having given me this opportunity.

‘It’s a life-changing experience playing for Bafana, it comes with a lot of responsibility and there’s no room for mistakes. You stand side-by-side with your teammates and fight for your nation.

‘It gives you a lot of humility and [you] see things from a bigger perspective. It’s bigger than the team,’ he added.

Known affectionately as Ino, he adds that he has to pinch himself to check whether he is sometimes dreaming.

‘It is crazy how quickly things have been happening.  Sometimes I need to pinch myself to remind myself of what is happening.

‘Fortunately, I have people around me who are helping me to remain grounded. I am still focused on improving my craft and hopefully, I can continue improving so that I can make a positive difference to my club and country

‘The speed at which my career is moving is quite scary when you think of it, but everything has its time and whenever you believe in God and stay faithful to Him, then remarkable things happen in a short space of time.

‘I’m truly humbled by how God continues to exceed my expectations,’ he concluded.

Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix