Royal AM Chairman Andile Mpisane appears to be focusing on his soccer player career after making the starting line-up in the team’s line-up against Cape Town City over the weekend.
The former Amapiano star – the son of Sbu Mpisane and Shauwn Mkhize – was a trending topic on social media at the team’s first match of the season, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Despite being in relatively good form, many fans have ridiculed him for using his family’s wealth and power, as well as his “arrogance,” to advance his professional playing career.
ANDILE MPISANE’S PERFORMANCE: MONEY OR MERIT?
On Saturday, 14 September, Andile Mpisane shocked PSL fans when he made the starting line-up.
The 22-year-old father of four – who calls himself “Expensive 10” – reposted pictures and clips praising his performance on his Instagram Stories.
He also tooted his own horn over his “champion pass” in an Instagram post.
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A post shared by Andile Mpisane (@andilempisane10)
However, soccer fans were on the fence on whether his call-up was based on merit or money.
@SteezyHogz: “Bra Andile Mpisane is starting for Royal AM in the PSL. They can never tell me that Money doesn’t have power.”
@BilLy77581887: “Whoever convinced Andile Mpisane that he can play football needs to be arrested.”
@Mwaetavelo: “Andile Mpisane must go to a different club with strict discipline if he wants to pursue football seriously. Not this thing of strutting about like the owner of the ball on the gravel field. He’s not bad at all.”
‘WE GAVE HIM A CHANCE’
Speaking in a post-match interview, John Maduka addressed the issue of Andile Mpisane’s performance on the pitch.
He said: “To come to Chairman, yeah we gave him a chance. You know he played whatever. He did whatever he was supposed to do, then you had to make a change to put someone else.
“I mean it’s part of football. It’s part of the game. Things like that you know will happen here and there. It’s just a normal situation whereby you know if he’s given a chance to play, he plays.
“There are times maybe he’ll be given maybe 15 minutes, the last 15 minutes or 20 minutes in situations like that, depending on what’s happening in the field of play.”
Meanwhile, Andile Mpisane’s mother, MaMkhize, also defended her son’s soccer “talent.”
Speaking to Andile Ncube on his Metro FM show Sports Night Amplified in March, the businesswoman rebuffed critics, insisting the young player was just as “talented” as others on the team.
MaMkhize also revealed that Andile had played for Amazulu during his development stage.
She said: “He wouldn’t have entered AmaZulu if he didnt have talent. They only look for talent.
“He would have grown. Maybe he would have been an AmaZulu player”.