Yanela Mbuthuma
South African soccer player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yanela Mbuthuma (born 23 February 2002) is a South African soccer player who plays as a forward for Orlando Pirates in the South African Premier Division and the South Africa national team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 23 February 2002 | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Orlando Pirates | ||
| Number | 9 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Thohoyandou | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022–2025 | Richards Bay | 72 | (8) |
| 2025– | Orlando Pirates | 6 | (2) |
| International career‡ | |||
| South Africa U23 | |||
| 2025– | South Africa | 1 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 3 January 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 10 June 2025 | |||
Mbuthuma joined Richards Bay from Thohoyandou in the summer of 2022.[1] He was discovered by Richards Bay at the Khabba Cup, where he was designated "player of the tournament".[2] He subsequently made his first-tier debut in the 2022–23 South African Premier Division.[3] His first goal was the winning goal against Sekhukhune United in August 2022.[4]
After the season, the Su
nday Times eyed him as one of the players who should move to an overseas club to develop further.[5] Mbuthuma was named in the preliminary South Africa squad for the 2023 COSAFA Cup.[6] He also played for South Africa U23 the same year, during the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualification.[7]
