Mzimela: Engen tournament paved my way to Under-20 call-up
AmaZulu FC first-team goalkeeper Olwethu Mzimela has revealed how the Engen Champ of Champs helped put him on the radar of the South African Under-20 national team.
Mzimela, who is pushing to become Usuthu’s first-choice goalkeeper, is among a number of talented players who have emerged from the Engen tournaments, reinforcing their reputation as the place “Where Diski Legends Start.”
In 2018, Mzimela represented AmaZulu in the eThekwini leg of the Engen Knockout Challenge, where they finished runners-up. Individually, however, he was outstanding, winning both the Goalkeeper of the Tournament and Player of the Tournament awards.
The following year, he helped AmaZulu win the eThekwini leg before representing KwaZulu-Natal at the Engen Champ of Champs in Gauteng.
Mzimela believes the tournament played a major role in earning his 2019 Under-20 national team call-up.
“Taking part in the tournament helped me a lot. You get exposure, especially going to Champ of Champs where there are a lot of scouts,” said Mzimela.
“It’s where I believe I managed to get a call-up to the national Under-20 team. It helped me a lot and prepared me for the DDC.”
He also revealed how the tournament prepared him for the intensity of the reserve league.
“Most of the teams we were competing against, your Chippa, Bidvest Wits, were also using that tournament to prepare for the season,” he added.
“So, it also prepared me a lot. When I got into the season, I was used to the altitude of Joburg and was familiar with a few players we had played against at Champ of Champs. I was able to compete and had a decent season.”
The 2026 Engen Champ of Champs will take place at the High-Performance Centre in Pretoria from 2–4 October.
