Tsielo Mokebe, a young Lesotho student-athlete has earned a place on one of the world’s biggest sporting stages after being selected for an internship at the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup in North America, marking a significant step forward in her academic and professional journey.
A Kick4Life product, Mokebe has been appointed to join the operations team in New York and New Jersey, where she will contribute to the delivery of the world’s largest sporting event.
Her responsibilities will include supporting hospitality operations, restocking supplies, assisting beverage services, explaining menus to VIP guests, and helping prepare venues ahead of matchday activities.
She is currently pursuing a four-year Degree in Accounting and Business Management at Freed-Hardeman University in Tennessee, where she first became aware of the internship opportunity through her university’s business programme.
Freed-Hardeman University regularly shares professional opportunities with students, which led her to apply earlier this year.
The selection process was extensive, requiring a CV submission, academic records, and supporting documentation, followed by interviews and onboarding procedures. Mokebe says the waiting period was longer than expected, likely due to international security checks.
“I had an interview in March and received the employment confirmation in May,” she explained.
“No matter how long it took to get the answer from them, it was worth it. I was so happy to get to the accreditation stage after being on the onboarding process for about a month and a half.”
For Mokebe, the opportunity represents both excitement and pressure as she prepares to contribute to a global event expected to be watched by billions.
“I am nervous and excited at the same time because I really think this will be a great start for my career as a business and sports person. This aligns with both my passion for football and professional business experience, which makes it even more exciting.”
She also acknowledged the challenge of working in a high-performance international environment.
“I will be gaining experience on how to work with professionals, and that also scares me because I think I am going to be afraid to make a mistake knowing I will not be able to correct it.”
As preparations continue, Mokebe says she is focused on learning as much as possible from the experience, particularly in professional communication, teamwork, and high-pressure operations.
“With this experience, I hope to gain more on how to handle and work with people professionally, both in football and in the workplace. I want to experience how professional people work together, understand the impact of service towards the game, learn how to have professional conversations and approaches, and learn how to stay calm under pressure.”
Her selection has been widely viewed as a strong example of how educational opportunity, sporting discipline, and ambition can combine to open international pathways for young people from Lesotho.
Summary
- Tsielo Mokebe, a young Lesotho student-athlete has earned a place on one of the world’s biggest sporting stages after being selected for an internship at the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup in North America, marking a significant step forward in her academic and professional journey.
- “I am nervous and excited at the same time because I really think this will be a great start for my career as a business and sports person.
- “I will be gaining experience on how to work with professionals, and that also scares me because I think I am going to be afraid to make a mistake knowing I will not be able to correct it.
Seabata Mahao is a general news reporter with special focus on Business and Sports. Started working at Newsday in 2021. Working in a team with a shared goal is what I enjoy most and that gives me the motivation to work under any environment leading to growth.
