PSL club’s 15yo enters top 5 youngest debutants list in SA
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Soccer Laduma (@soccer_laduma)
Rugby
Podcasts & Videos
The Club House
Win
–>
Photo by Philip Maeta/Gallo Images
Home
Psl
Motsepe Foundation Championship
PSL club’s 15yo enters top 5 youngest debutants list in SA
Sep 8, 2026 – 08:00 pm
By Thato Bosoga
After newly-recruited University of Pretoria of Pretoria striker Michael Tetani made his professional debut at the tender age of 15 years, KickOff looked at the top five young debutants in the history of the PSL.
5. Siyabonga Mabena (16 years & 24 days for Mamelodi Sundowns)
Mabena drew comparisons with the late Gift Leremi from former Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena, who introduced him in the second stanza for his pro debut in place of Themba Zwane in their 5-1 rout of Royal AM in March 2023, where the teenager also scored on his first senior appearance.
4. Bradley Carnell (16 years & 12 days for Wits University)
Carnell was 16 when he made his debut for Wits University in 1993 against Cape Town Spurs, three years before reformation to the PSL. The former left-back went on to play for Kaizer Chiefs five years later and it took him another five years to earn a move abroad to German side VfB Stuttgart.
3. Kobamelo Kodisang (15 years, 11 months & 29 days for Platinum Stars)
Kodisang was still 15 when he made his first senior appearance for Platinum Stars as he came on for Robert Ng’ambi in the dying minutes of a 2-0 win over Golden Arrows in August 2015.
The former Sundowns midfielder was just two days away from turning 16.
2. Steve Lekoelea (15 years, eight months & 15 days for Moroka Swallows)
At the time, in October 1994, Lekoelea was the youngest player to make a debut in South African professional football for Swallows in their game against Bloemfontein Celtic, where he was even in the starting line-up, while still known as Steve Motsiri.
1. Mkhanyiseli Siwahla (15 years, five months & 22 days for Ajax Cape Town)
Siwahla broke the record which was held by Lekoelea and set another feat, as the youngest player to score on debut after netting in his first appearance for Ajax against Dynamos in February 2004.
The teenager was taken off on the hour-mark to a standing ovation and replaced by 38-year-old Ernest Mtawali
*Kickoff is in the process of verifying the exact date of birth details of Tetani.