Amidst the tough times and daily struggles South Africans endured throughout the year, Ama2000 were a breath of fresh air and just happened to be the right dose of positivity needed, especially in the sports fraternity. South Africans got to witness a good number of exciting prospects being unearthed and keeping the dreams of those who look up to them alive. The likes of Mohau Nkota, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Bayanda Walaza, among others, were some of the stars who took to the world stage and showed that SA is still a good hub and hunting ground for raw talent.
Mohau Nkota (20)
One of the reasons there is “CoCo-Melon Football” paragon being spoken across all corners of the country is because of Orlando Pirates starlet Mohau Nkota. Nkota, 20, has not only set the Betway Premiership scene alight but the Caf Champions League stage as well since making his debut for the Buccaneers recently. He scored two world-class goals in his league debut against AmaZulu and repeated the same feat against CR Belouizdad in Algeria when he banged in two winning goals on his first experience in the continental competition.
Bayanda Walaza (18)
The schoolboy is one of the young men living their dream, as the teenager already boasts an Olympic medal that many can only fantasise about. Walaza has capped an incredible year with his World Under-20 100m title and silver medal that he clinched with the 4x100m team at the Paris Games alongside Akani Simbine, Shaun Maswanganyi, and fellow teenager Bradley Nkoana.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (22)
Stormers backline star Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was among the talk of the town when she broke into the international rugby scene with the Springboks this year. And what a way to announce himself, as he made a strong statement in his first foray into the Boks setup. The 22-year-old was among the nominees for a major award at the World Rugby Awards, as he led the charge in the highly contested Men’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year category, which was won by Wallace Sititi of New Zealand.
Prudence Sekgodiso (22)
Dubbed the next Caster Semenya in the 800m middle-distance, exciting prospect Prudence Sekgodiso has been one of the emerging talents in track and field. Building up to the Olympic Games, Sekgodiso produced a miracle at the Diamond League, where she clocked a world-leading time of 1 min, 57.26 sec in her first international women’s 800m race of the 2024 season. Despite not entirely living up to the expectations of walking away with a medal at the Olympics, the 22-year-old defied all odds in her first-ever Olympic Games appearance by reaching the final.
Relebohile Mofokeng (20)
Mofokeng joined Orlando Pirates last year and was already making headlines; what he did this year can’t be ignored as he took his game to a whole new level.
