Law student and Wits midfielder Tebogo Masemola tops the Suzuki Golden Boot chase

Tebogo Masemola, the talented and dynamic 21-year-old attacking midfielder for Wits Men’s Football, has been making waves with his impressive skills on the pitch. Inspired by his father and uncle, Masemola’s passion for football began at the age of two, and he is already showing the potential to develop into a top-class player.

Where were you born, and where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in a town called Clayville in Tembisa and I am studying for a Bachelor of Arts in Law at Wits University.

Take us through your journey of becoming a soccer player?

I believe it's always been a part of my DNA, I'd say I inherited the talent from my father and my late uncle who were soccer players, and they were a marvel to watch but couldn't make it professionally. My mother says I started kicking ball at the age of 2 but professionally I started playing for SuperSport United Academy for Soccer Schools at the age of 14 before joining Highlands Park at the age of 16 in 2019.

Which teams did you play for before Wits?

Currently playing for Orlando Pirates DStv Diski Challenge but also played for Platinum City Rovers, Highlands Park, and Hlalefang FC just to mention few. I am a versatile player, so I have played all the positions except goalkeeper and striker.

How did the Wits play a role in becoming who you are now?

It played a vital role because I have always had a dream of studying at Wits and playing football for Wits and this was one of declarations when I was noting down my goals a few years ago. They have invested in my education by offering me a bursary to pay for tuition fees and I never had any plan of how I'm going to pay for my tuition fees. In a few years, I will walk out of Wits with an LLB degree and become an Advocate or Candidate Attorney because of Wits football club. I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity.

What does it mean to be part of this tournament?

It really means a lot to me as I said that I have always wanted to play in this tournament and I used to watch it years ago. Obviously coming to this tournament, I had individual goals which are scoring 5 goals, being the player of the tournament nominee and collectively as a team we agreed that we want to win Varsity Cup 2025. We haven't been in the tournament for the past years, but we challenge ourselves to win because we are the underdogs that want to make history.

How do you balance your academic responsibilities and football commitments?

For me, it has always been football and academics not football or academics. I make them both a priority in my life because I believe I'm doing very well in both. I ensure that even after training when I feel tired, I will still do some work even if it's just writing notes, but I would have done something. This has worked for me since high school, and I've adopted it throughout my student-athlete life.

Fixtures: HERE  

Tickets: HERE.

By: Andisiwe Sigoxo.