Vuyolwethu Andrieas has spoken of his pride at making his professional debut after becoming the latest player to emerge from Stellenbosch FC’s development pipeline.

Andrieas made his senior debut for Stellenbosch on Tuesday when he took to the field as a second-half substitute for Mthetheleli Mthiyane during the Club’s Betway Premiership encounter against Orlando Pirates.

“It was a dream come true,” Andrieas says. “I was anxious when I found out I was coming on at half-time, and I could feel it in my stomach, but Coach Gavin came to me and told me just to go out and do what I do every week in training.

“I decided to treat it like any other game. Orlando Pirates is a big team, but it’s just a badge, and in the end, it’s eleven humans playing against eleven other humans on the field.

“I just had to take it one second at a time and work my socks off to show the coach that I deserved the chance he gave me. I had to show him and the crowd that came out to watch us that I have something in me.

“I still have to keep working, though, because one game doesn’t mean I’ve made it. It’s a big step up from playing in the DStv Diski Challenge, and this is only the start of my career, but my performance gave me pride and confidence that I belong at this level.”

Overcoming adversity to become a professional footballer

Andrieas’ journey to the topflight was not a straightforward one, as the Gugulethu-born youngster, one of four siblings in a single-parent household, had to overcome a challenging upbringing en route to becoming a professional player.

“I started playing football when I was around eight or nine and then joined a local club when I was 15. That was when I started taking football seriously because I saw that I could maybe put bread on the table with the talent God has given me,” he shares.

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“I had to do a lot by myself and make many sacrifices to get to this point and to have this opportunity. I grew up in a community surrounded by drugs and gangsterism around me, but I didn’t choose that way, and that’s something I am most proud of.”

Amid those struggles, Andrieas eventually joined Hellenic FC, where his performances in the Bayhill Premier Cup and Engen Knockout Challenge tournaments caught the attention of Stellenbosch FC.

He initially joined Stellies’ U-18 team while finishing his schooling before being promoted by Evangelos Vellios to the Club’s reserve team in 2022, where he ironically made his debut against none other than Orlando Pirates.

“It was a proud and exciting moment for me to sign for Stellenbosch because it’s a club that I always wanted to join. In my room, there is even a prayer that I put up that one day I would play for Stellenbosch,” Andrieas adds.

“Making it to the DDC helped me improve my game a lot. It is a very competitive competition, and our coaches had a real impact on my life. They were hard on me because I believe they saw something in me, and that helped me.

“We went on to win the Diski Challenge and the Premier League Next Gen in England, which I could never have dreamed would happen. I grew up watching these competitions, and then I got the chance to take part and win them.

“It was an incredible part of my journey, and I know that without my teammates and coaches in the DDC, I wouldn’t have made it to this point. I owe them a lot of thanks for that, and the debut I made, I made for them as well.”

Looking forward to the future

Andrieas reveals that his pathway from being a youth and reserve team player for Stellenbosch FC made his debut with the first team all the sweeter, and he is now hoping to achieve bigger and better things with the Club.

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“I think it is a bit more special. Coming through the development ranks at a Club like Stellenbosch and working with the different coaches to make it into the first team is really special for me.

“I hope to stay here for as long as I can and hopefully win more silverware with the team. Even for myself, personally, I am not playing football for fun. I play it because I love it, and I want to win trophies.

“I want my name to be among the best players in the league, and I can only do that if I help the team to be successful.”

By Liam Bekker for Stellenbosch FC