New Cape Town City striker Siphelele Mthembu says he has nothing to prove as he looks to win a Golden Boot.
The 30-year-old burst onto the scene 10 years ago when Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates vied for the talented laaitie’s services.
Bucs snatched him away from Chiefs in 2008, the KZN-born star impressed the following season and was named the best young player in the league.
But by 2010, Mthembu was out of favour and his career was in the doldrums until he showed some form at Platinum Stars to win his first Bafana Bafana call-up in 2013.
A second stint at Chiefs eventually came in 2014, but that proved another false dawn as he was offloaded to Free State Stars, where he helped the unfancied club to last year’s Nedbank Cup title.
That fighting spirit, and his impressive physique, has earned him the nickname Shaka Zulu.
But with just five goals last term, warrior Mthembu is hoping to discover his killer instinct in front of the net and fire City to more silverware.
He says: “I can’t go all the way and 24 hours in my career and not finish top goal scorer.
“I’ve studied the team very hard and I believe I’m in the right environment to do that.”
But his first priority is to fight for the team, saying: “I’m a hard worker – I push a lot and am very dedicated in what I do.
“For me, it’s not about proving to people how good I am, but it’s about helping the team I play for.”
Mthembu made his debut in City’s 2-0 win over SuperSport United on Saturday and lasted 65 minutes without scoring, but boss Benni McCarthy is impressed with the options that he gives the team.
Another player Benni is hoping to get the best out of is Ayanda Patosi.
Patosi picked up weight and lost form last season, but the coach is now keen to use the attacking midfielder more sparingly.
McCarthy reveals: “In terms of selection for the SuperSport game at the weekend, I left out Ayanda Patosi because I felt that we needed players who could play a pressing game.
“But, against a team like Baroka, which is an away game where we may need to keep the ball more, it means he will come into contention for selection.”