In exciting news from beyond our shores, South African midfielder Katlego ‘Tsiki’ Ntsabeleng has opened up on facing Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami this Sunday.
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Ntsabeleng made a late substitute appearance, coming on in the 87th minute as his Dallas team progressed to the last 16 of the 2023 League’s Cup thanks to a 2-1 win over Mazatlan FC.
Awaiting them is red-hot Inter Miami FC buoyed by the arrival of Lionel Messi, with Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba in tandem. It was the Argentine great who powered the Miami-based outfit to a 3-1 win over Orlando City, scoring a brace in the process.
Speaking exclusively to the Siya crew, Ntsabeleng, formerly on the books of the University of Johannesburg and Kaizer Chiefs, revealed his excitement of coming up against the seven-time Ballon D’or winner.
“It’s a dream come true man. This is one of the biggest players in the world, [Sergio] Busquets the same you know, so just sharing the pitch is just another item off the checklist of my dreams and my goals,” he said.
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“I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity. I’ve obviously been learning from them. They’re the guys that inspired me to push myself, especially that team from 2010 that had [Andres] Iniesta, Busquets and Xavi, showed us that football can be played in a different way. They actually revolutionized football for me.
“So yeah, man, just excited. So hopefully I get some minutes in that game and just see myself like how far I am compared to the to the best in the world,” continued Ntsabeleng also referring to facing Messi.
“So yeah, very excited for that (facing Messi). I’m out of words, to be honest. I just want to go out there and just have the experience and enjoy it,” he concluded.
