Cape Town - AmaZulu marksman Bongani Ndulula said his selection for the national team to compete at the Africa Cup of Nations was merely the result of the hard work he had put into this year’s Premiership campaign.
Read: Bartlett has faith in Bafana strikers
Ndulula has played in 15 of his team’s 16 Premiership matches this term.
While he has breached opposition defences just four times during that period, Ndulula feels that the other contributions he has made to the squad have been recognised by national coach Shakes Mashaba.
"I am excited about the call up,” Ndulula told the club’s website.
“I feel that I worked very hard to earn myself a place in this squad.
“As you know there are many great players but I guess my hard work stood out."
The one matter which Ndulula feels has played a significant role in his success with the national team during the past year has been the trust in the relationship between himself and Mashaba.
"I have learnt a lot from the coach and I am happy that he selected me. One of the things that I have learnt from him is that he always stresses the importance of being yourself when you are playing. He encourages us not to try anything fancy.
"That is why you see many players performing under him - that’s because they are free and relaxed," added Ndulula.