Kurt Lentjies has showered praise on teenager Luphumlo Sifumba for his goal as Coastal United thumped Dinaledi 3-0 in the DStv Compact Cup at the weekend.
United are led by Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker, but Lentjies from Chippa United and Eric Tinkler of Cape Town City are acting as technical advisors.
The comprehensive win was rounded off with a superb third goal from 16-year-old City youngster Sifumba, who came off the bench to score with an excellent side-footed finish with his first touch of the game.
“He wouldn’t be here if we and the supporters who voted for him didn’t think he was capable,” Lentjies said. “He showed it in training and it was a given he would come on. We decided that the boy, the way he was training, he deserved to play.
“With coach Eric knowing him from Cape Town City, and coach Steve having a look at him for the first time in training … wow, what a player for the future. And not even the future, why not now?
“Sixteen years old, first touch and he scores a goal. But not just the goal, everything he did after that as well. So I am happy for him, but not just me, everybody in the technical team was happy for him.”
Coastal United will meet Warriors in Saturday’s DStv Compact Cup final at the FNB Stadium. The third-place play-off will see Dinaledi meet Amabutho.