Andile Dlamini happy to showcase her singing skills on The Masked Singer

Banyana Banyana goalkeeper Andile Dlamini is glad to have shared her hidden singing talent on The Masked Singer SA with the rest of the country.

Sticks, as she is fondly referred to by fans, is also disappointed that her Tembisa homeboy Skhumba Hlophe, who is part of show's detective panel alongside J’Something, Somizi Mhlongo and Sithelo Shozi, didn't recognise her as the voice behind "Rainbow".

Dlamini was the latest star at the weekend to be unmasked on the popular show after Breyton Paulse, Dricus du Plessis, Nthati Moshesh, Celeste Ntuli, Khutso Theledi and Nonkanyiso “LaConco” Conco. 

“I’m extremely grateful to have been a part of the show. More than anything, I feel honoured that I got to showcase my other talent which is singing,” she said.

“Not a lot of people knew I could sing, only my fans on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram knew but not the majority of South Africans knew but now they do, all thanks to the show. To be appreciated on home soil with such TV shows is amazing.”

During her run on the show she delivered renditions of Sorry by Justin Bieber, Rock3t by Madism and Ne-Yo’s So Sick.

One of her clues to guessing her identity was that she is a leader who works well in a team and her status had afforded her the opportunity to work with many of her heroes – citing late former president Nelson Mandela as one of them.

“I don’t go anywhere without telling my mother. For her to be so excited for me in my journey in the soccer industry and the way she has encouraged me has helped me to be able to do the same for others. I’m a very calm person and I know what I want and what I represent is all because of the mother I have,” she said.

“This show is too discreet. I was laughing at the SABC crew [while I was inside my mask] at how they couldn’t tell who I was. I mean, these are people I work with when it’s off season. Even when the director kept moving me around the stage, I was just chuffed that he didn’t even know who I was. When I was unveiled, he was like: 'Ahhh, Sticks, it was you this whole time?'… and I just continued to laugh. 

“However, the person who I was the most disappointed in was Skhumba because he knows that I can sing. I thought it was going to be easy for him to spot me behind the mask. He actually thought I was the voice behind Diamond but he was off the mark with that one. I think if I sang in vernacular, maybe most of the detectives were going to know who I am.”

Dlamini confirmed that she was working on releasing music. 

“God is paving another way for me right now. I’m still a soccer player and a proud one,” she said.

“I plan to work hard to make it to the top but I hope to make a song with J’Something and whole lot of artists because The Masked Singer paved that way for me.”