Ndlondlo aiming for cup glory

Ndlondlo
aiming for
cup glory

By Nick Said

Marumo Gallants playmaker Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo will be the smallest player on the pitch in Saturday’s Nedbank Cup final against Mamelodi Sundowns, but he has one of the biggest hearts.

The 26-year-old has seen his stocks rise in the last 12 months since he netted the winner for TTM in the 2021 Nedbank Cup final as they edged Chippa United 1-0.

Just about all of Gallants’ attacking play goes through him and he is both a scorer and creator of goals, a vital cog in their successful run to the final this season.

He has scored 10 goals in all competitions this campaign, having only netted 11 in his entire career before the season started, almost doubling his tally.

He has great technical ability with the ball at his feet, a rocket shot, and an eye for a pass that gives the otherwise impotent Gallants side an attacking edge.

Ndlondlo will be aiming to become the first player to net in back-to-back Nedbank Cup finals since Bradley Grobler and Jeremy Brockie did so for SuperSport United as they beat Orlando Pirates in both the 2016 and 2017 deciders.

He was formerly on the books of AmaZulu but was released by the club without a first team appearance.