CAPE TOWN -
After making waves in the gaming scene two years ago, Thabo Moloi has since gone from an aspiring FIFA player to becoming the first Red Bull esports athlete in Africa.
The 16-year-old, also known as Yvng Savage, played his first competitive esports tournament at the VS Gaming FIFA Festival in 2018 at the Montecasino where he bagged the first prize of R400 000.
His talent for FIFA was quickly recognised and was subsequently offered a spot on the South African esports team.
“In 2018, when I first started playing FIFA competitively, I didn’t have the latest console to practice on. I saved my lunch money and asked my parents to help me. That’s how I got a second-hand PlayStation 4,” said Moloi.
“I play online every single day of my life. Leading up to the VS tournament, I trained with a good friend of mine who is a strong and established FIFA player himself.
“We would play, and I would beat him, but when I started beating him consistently, I decided I was ready to compete,” he said.
After placing first in the official FIFA rankings for PS4 in South Africa, he was chosen to compete on the international stage at the FIFA eNations Stay and Play Cup and the FIFA eChampions League Qualifiers in the Middle East.
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