The Big Match GDL Clash
The sun burns down on the Soweto ground. Parents, friends, scouts, and coaches line the sidelines. The noise is deafening this isn't just a schoolboy game, it feels like a professional derby.
Sipho and Thabo step onto the field with nerves in their stomachs. Mkhize gives them a quick pat on the back.
Mkhize (low voice): "Play your game. Forget the crowd. Forget me. Just play."
Across the pitch, Naledi's team warms up, sharp and disciplined. She blows her whistle, pulling them into a huddle.
Naledi: "They don't know us. They think they've already won because of Chiefs. Show them why we're feared."
The whistle blows kick-off.
First Half: Thabo tries to settle in midfield, but Naledi's boys press hard, closing space quickly. Sipho, playing as a winger, is marked tight by a fast full-back. Mkhize scribbles notes nervously into his pad. Naledi's team scores first 1-0. The crowd erupts.
Second Half: Sipho finally breaks free, cutting inside and unleashing a shot that curls past the keeper. Goal. The crowd goes wild. It's 1-1. Mkhize clenches his fist silently, pride flashing in his eyes.
The game ends in a tense draw, 1-1. Both teams walk off exhausted, the air thick with competition.
After the Match
Mkhize walks toward Naledi. She's sweaty, holding her clipboard, her players celebrating around her. They lock eyes and for a moment, it's just them in the noise.
Mkhize: "Your boys gave us hell today."
Naledi (smiling): "Hell? That was just a warm-up."
They laugh, the tension breaking.
But before they can talk more, Mkhize's phone vibrates. A message in the Chiefs WhatsApp group:
"Report now. Sipho looks promising. Thabo still undecided. Need your assessment."
He pockets the phone, suddenly feeling the double life scout for one of the biggest clubs, and a man just trying to find peace in someone's smile.
Chiefs Feedback
That week, the Chiefs academy coaches call Mkhize into the Village. After five days of assessing Sipho and Thabo, they sit him down.
Coach 1: "Sipho has the hunger. He's ready for the next step. Thabo… talented, but needs more discipline. We'll keep watching."
Coach 2: "Good eye, Mkhize. But remember one mistake, one wrong recommendation, and you'll answer for it."
Mkhize nods, his heart racing. This is real. He's in the system now. Chiefs are paying him serious money, more than he ever imagined but it comes with heavy weight.
Personal Life
Back home, his mom asks:
Mom: "So, is this life now? Always football, meetings, travel?"
Mkhize doesn't answer. He just stares at the Chiefs gear folded on his bed tracksuits, jackets, sneakers. Everything he ever wanted. Yet he feels something missing.
That night, Naledi messages him:
Naledi: "Don't let them take your soul. Football is a job. Life is bigger."
He reads it twice, lying in the dark. For the first time, Mkhize wonders if scouting and love can truly live side by side.