Oregon State’s Tsiki Ntsabeleng (18) controls the ball as the No. 1 seed Beavers take on No. 16 seed New Hampshire in the NCAA playoffs Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021, at Lorenz Field in Corvallis.

Tsiki Ntsabeleng emerged as one of the primary weapons for the Oregon State men’s soccer team during the Beavers’ run to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament.

The redshirt senior forward from Johannesburg, South Africa, led the team in assists (8) and shots (49), was second in shots on goal (17) and fourth in goals scored (5).

Ntsabeleng also made key plays at the biggest moments. He scored the game-tying goal in the final minutes of the regular-season finale against Washington and his pass set up Mouhameth Thiam’s game-winning goal against New Hampshire in the Sweet Sixteen. His energy and activity helped Oregon State maintain an aggressive style of play and keep the pressure on opponents.

Soccer has been a part of Ntsabeleng’s life for longer than he can remember. As soon as he was able to walk he learned to dribble a soccer ball and his father encouraged him to sleep with a ball, which seemed odd to him at first and then became a habit.

“At the time, it kind of felt weird, but I think that is when I started developing a passion and a love for the game. From then on, every day just playing in the streets, playing with my friends. Whenever I got a chance,” Ntsabeleng said. “At school, I remember lunch breaks, I never used to eat lunch. I just used to always have a ball to kick around with my friends.”

His hard work paid off when he was selected to play for South Africa’s Under-20 team. Those matches changed the direction of Ntsabeleng’s life.

He gained the attention of Coastal Carolina University assistant coach Kyle Timm, who is also South African. Timm recruited Ntsabeleng to play collegiate soccer for the school in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Ntsabeleng was the Sun Belt Conference newcomer of the year in 2018 and the following season he helped the Chanticleers win their conference title and qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

It was at Coastal Carolina that Ntsabeleng began to understand the difference in the sports culture between South Africa and the United States. At the most basic level, he learned about the importance of the sport Americans call football.

“For me, personally, I think they should change the name. Real football is what they call soccer,” Ntsabeleng said, laughing at his own suggestion. “I remember when I first came (to America) it was awkward for me to call it soccer. I remember at Coastal, people would ask me, ‘You look athletic. What type of sport do you play?’ I used to say football. They would say, ‘You look too small to play football.’ And then I’d have to say, ‘No, not that football.’”

Ntsabeleng earned his degree at Coastal Carolina and the coach who recruited him was leaving the program, so he looked around for another opportunity.

“I went to the transfer portal and Oregon State reached out. To be honest, they led my decision from the get-go because of how coach (Terry) Boss was showing interest, not just in my soccer abilities but in my development as a person as well. So the decision was kind of easy,” Ntsabeleng said.

He was eligible for the 2020 season, working his way into a starting role late in the year and earning honorable mention all-Pac-12 Conference honors.

That success carried over into the Beavers’ hugely successful 2021 season. The Beavers won their first Pac-12 championship, ended the regular season ranked No. 1 and received the top seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Ntsabeleng was named first-team all-conference and first-team all-Far West Region. He said Boss put him in the best possible position to succeed.

“The system here at Oregon State suits me perfectly because it aligns with my qualities and coach has helped me adapt to his system. It’s a very unique system; it requires special players. Personally, it’s what I needed in my career,” Ntsabeleng said.

Ntsabeleng has used all of his collegiate eligibility but is not yet ready to hang up his cleats.

“Definitely not. I’m looking to continue my soccer career after college,” he said.

In addition to playing professionally, he also hopes to have another opportunity to wear the South African jersey that did so much to make this part of his life a possibility.

“Yes, that is one of my life goals is to play for the senior national team,” Ntsabeleng said. “Wear my national team’s shirt and make my parents proud.”

“The system here at Oregon State suits me perfectly because it aligns with my qualities and coach has helped me adapt to his system. It’s a very unique system; it requires special players. Personally, it’s what I needed in my career.”

— Tsiki Ntsabeleng, Oregon State men’s soccer player