Malamulele-born Carreca Nkondo’s jersey hangs in the Upington City dressing room ahead of his NFD debut against North West University on Saturday. The 21-year-old midfielder went on to play the full 90 minutes in the 1-1 draw.
By: Refilwe Sebola
Malamulele-born midfielder Carreca Nkondo made an encouraging start to life at National First Division side Upington City, playing the full 90 minutes on his debut against North West University on Saturday.
The 21-year-old, who recently joined Upington City after featuring for Black Leopards, was handed his first competitive appearance for the club as they were held to a 1-1 draw by North West University at the Fanie du Toit Sports Ground in Potchefstroom.
Nkondo started the match in his familiar holding midfield role before being pushed further forward into the attacking midfield position in the second half, showcasing his versatility and ability to operate in different areas of the midfield.
The young midfielder put in a promising performance as Upington City began their campaign with a point.
It was the hosts who broke the deadlock in the first half when Onkarabile Moswane found the back of the net to give North West University a 1-0 lead.
Nkondo and his teammates went into the break trailing but returned for the second half determined to fight their way back into the contest.
Their task became even more difficult after Upington City were reduced to 10 men following a red card. However, the visitors refused to surrender and continued pushing for an equaliser.
Their persistence eventually paid off in the dying stages when Lebogang Chakale struck in the 88th minute to rescue a point for Upington City.
The result leaves Upington City in ninth position after the opening round of fixtures.
Nkondo’s full-match performance has already provided plenty of encouragement, particularly for his father, Musa Nkondo, who himself enjoyed a career with Santos in the PSL.
Musa believes his son has the potential to go far in the game and has set his sights even higher, expressing his desire to see the 21-year-old earn a call-up to the South African national Under-23 team.
For Musa, the ambition is not simply to see his son establish himself at club level, but to see him progress to the national stage.
Nkondo’s ability to play both as a holding midfielder and further forward could prove valuable as he looks to establish himself at Upington City.
For the Malamulele-born midfielder, the debut marks the beginning of a new chapter. With a full 90 minutes under his belt and the backing of a father who understands the demands of professional football, Nkondo will now look to build on his promising start and continue pushing towards his bigger ambitions.