13 July 2021 – An overjoyed Victor Letsoalo reminisces about making coffee on Tuesday morning and explaining to anyone who cared to listen that he is not nervous about the game against Lesotho as he had already predicted a win!
The howling winds and inclement weather were also not a deterrent for the 28-year-old from Ga-Thaba, Limpopo.
In actual fact, the hat-trick he scored has long been forgotten as his head is already in the next game. “I’m happy that I was able to score. I’m happy to have been given a chance to make South African’s smile especially with Covid-19 and the unrest in the country currently,” said the striker who hopes he can do it all over again. “If not a hat-trick then just to score,” exclaimed Letsoalo.
After the win, SAFA (South African Football Association) President Dr. Danny Jordaan took the team down memory lane to February of 1998 in Burkina Faso when Benni McCarthy scored at the Africa Cup of Nations against Namibia.
“History has been made today. Victor can be proud of his contribution to the national team with his hat-trick. The entire team can be proud of their dedication, commitment and the great win against Lesotho and for doing well in the Cosafa tournament so far,” said a proud SAFA President who hails from Gqeberha.
As history is rewritten, Letsoalo wishes he had memory of what McCarthy did at Stade Omnisport then.
But he was only five years old and starting to play football, oblivious at that age that he would go on to represent his country and on debut manage not 1, not 2 but 3 goals against neighbours Lesotho.