In-form Cassius Mailula has reacted to his maiden Bafana Bafana call-up at the tender age of 21 years, saying he thought he’d be in the South African U23 squad.
Mailula is the youngest player in Hugo Broos’ final Bafana squad for the important double header against Liberia this week.
While some expected him to lead the line of the U23 for the important AFCON qualifiers, Broos opted to include him in his senior selection, with Mailula’s 14 goals and four assists in all competitions too hard to overlook.
“For me, it came as a surprise because I didn’t expect to pop up so early,” he told SAFA’s Media Officer Romy Titus, when asked about his initial inclusion in the preliminary squad.
“I thought that I’ll be actually in the U23 [squad], but for me it was actually good that someone out there can see my hard work.
“I was actually happy, so excited and ready to also make it to the 23-man squad.”
But Mailula didn’t just make the preliminary selection, he also made the final squad that will take on Liberia in South Africa on 24 March before the away clash in Monrovia on 28 March.
“They say dreams do actually come true [and] for me it’s always been something that I wanted,”
“I think it could’ve happened earlier because they always took me back to the junior teams to keep on pushing myself. I think it came at the right time, at the right space where I was feeling good about myself and where everything is just ok.
“Emotionally, physically and psychologically I was actually ready for this challenge.”
Mailula now has a few days in the Bafana camp to convince Broos of his qualities, with the Belgian tactician indicating he feels the Sundowns forward is a great option from the bench.
