The Question: Is the past affecting our present?

Photograph by Zweli Ndhlovu

The previous month we celebrated youth month in a variety of ways, as a nation we look back at what the class of ’76 did and how we benefit from their sacrifice, we looked at what the current crop of youth and see how they measure up. This got me wondering about the era of that period and the era that followed after till now.

The legends of that era are probably the most famous legends we acknowledge today, Shakes Mashaba, Teenage Dladla, Jomo Sono, Ace. The list can go on, this generation of legends we use as reference when talking about how South Africa should play.

Through the years tournaments and leagues like Chappies league, Kay Motsepe cup, Investec league, Copa Coa Cola, Milo champions tournament, Danone Nations cup, Metropolitan tournament, Future stars, Bayhill tournament, Engen Knockout etc. have bred some of the best stars our football knows today, they continue to be the breeding ground for the future talents.

If you have been to any of these tournaments then you will have one or two stories of players you had seen there that are in the PSL right now which is wonderful. But we have a lot more stories where a player is on fire in a tournament and looks the part that we soccer lovers are always in search of either for our teams or national team, and you expect him to do good when he gets there, only to hear a coach in the big leagues say that player is not ready.

Have we looked at our legends so much that we o not believe in the current talent that is in front of us? Or has the talent in the years degraded to the point that we have no choice but to look at what the past brought us?

Guess what I am wondering is whether the talent pool has decreased or have we been looking back so much we are neglecting the present.

Endangered Birds

There are few teams that you can never leave out when talking about South African soccer history. Moroka Swallows is one of them, unless you are one of those who think South African football was built by three teams.

Some of the people who were involved in Swallows development back in 2013 when they were based in Germiston

Growing up, Sisa Nombe and Sibusiso Mazibuko represented my first interpretation of what “terrible twins” were. Their combination would give defenders sleepless nights. Samuel Ngobeni, Asande Ngobese were one of the most skillful players we had in the country at that time and expressed the way we felt South African football should be played, authentic Kasi football, idiski.

Some of the players who were part of the development in 2013

Moroka Swallows have always had a rich history in South African soccer history, when you consider the legends they have brought us like “the bull” Lehoko, “Sporo” Mangena, “Chaka-Chaka” Mpondo and “Ace” Mnini to mention a few it was really heartbreaking when I received the news they had were now in the third tier league after a dismal performance during the course of the NFD season.

The slow death of this club means we lose another part of soccer history to the archives and old men’s tales.

Their relegation to the Vodacom League mirrors the decline of African Wanderers (another club lost to the archives of South African football history)

They have gone down and the management (you know who you are) have abandoned ship that they contributed in its sinking.

Let’s hope that one day the sleeping giants will awaken so that when we tell our children’s children about the beautiful game we love, our history does not start in 1996.

May God Bless The Sport

Photograph by Zweli Ndhlovu

This Easter, I would rather spend my time watching the gifted give me hope or give me a reminder as to why talent should never be messed with or taken lightly. I want to see the “I could’ve been a star if it wasn’t for 1, 2, 3...” doing things that would make you actually believe them on the field. I would rather see the players that have made it come back to Ekasi and playing the type of football the professional leagues would look down upon.

I want to watch God-given talent, the type that makes you say that this cannot be learned in the academies or in textbooks. The types of talent that make you think that this guy was born with the ball in his feet.

I want to feel at home sitting next to the field, with a combination of anonymity amidst the crowd and knowing that when it comes to the game we love, we all speak the same language.

Instead of listening to someone talk for an hour and a half, trying to make a joke here while I do my best not to fall asleep or seem distracted, I want to watch 22 players or less (depending on red cards) that will leave me with a smile, in awe, shocked, angry or in stitches.

It feels as though the only thing I understand nowadays is whatever happens in those ninety minutes between the 22 players (or less) and the ball that is placed in the middle, I have lost the feeling of home in church and can only find it amongst the people who came to watch the magic that is in the beautiful game. Those 90 minutes remind me of the beauty that is created by God.

So whether you find solace in the church or on the field or in both, may this Easter period give you what you are hoping for. Have a blessed one and stay safe.

Mqede! Art of finishing

To celebrate the return of the PSL after a long pause, I thought I would share this video I had found on the net.

I do not know about you, but for me missed goal are just as astonishing as some of the goals scored in world football if not more. It is always astounding to see players that practice every single day, are called professionals and in most cases regard them as the country's finest missing some of the chances in this video.

This is also to prepare you for the "oohhs" and "aahhs" that will surround many local grounds as the December tournaments have already begun. 

We are hoping for better conversions in the tournaments than the ones you will see here. Enjoy. Mqede!

Multichoice diski challenges’ new-age Bartlett: Yusuf Bunting

“There is this number 9 at Kaizer Chiefs, he is going to trouble us, always comes in on the left.” This is one of the statements the Moroka Swallows under 17 players said when it was discovered that they would face them in the group stages of the Engen knockout challenge 2013 edition while I was doing my practical at the then Germiston based development academy.

The player referenced was Yusuf Bunting, and how true they were though!! In my first time seeing the player, he tore the right back apart in the game against Swallows development with what seemed as not much of an effort, though not his best performance, I immediately took a liking to him.

Fast-forward to 2015 when the Multichoice diski challenge season began, to my pleasant surprise I see Bunting lining up for Kaizer Chiefs on the left hand and got the first goal of that game, I’ll be honest and tell you I expected him to be there the previous season.

He reminds me of a young Shaun Bartlett, you know before Benni came into the 18, quick, direct, good with the head and an eye (a very good one at that!) for goal. Considering his age His poisoning is one of the best in his group I feel.

Hopefully Kaizer Chiefs realise that they do not need to buy 6 average strikers when you have one that is potentially great in your development. I’m looking forward to tearing defenders apart in the Premier Soccer League soon.

in the meantime, you can follow him on twitter

Tweets by @Bunting9

South African football has undiscovered gems

Picture by Ihsaan Haffejee, thelyricaleye.com

A guy named Vusi comes on in the second half and produced a super sub performance, scored 2 goals in a game that ended in a draw of 4-4 between Brakpan High and Eureka High. That was one of best games I have watched in amateur football.

This same guy was sitting a few steps behind me watching the game in the first half with absolutely no sign that said he was a player for Brakpan high, decked in school clothes with no playing kit, he was the last person you expect to come on let alone let alone do what he ended up doing there because for one, He hardly came to practice! I know because I am the kid that he stripped off his playing kit just so he can come on.

His performance in that game gave me a high  that I doubt I would have gotten had I came on the field; this guy actually made me a fan on the bench. Truth is Vusi never got the recognition he deserved for what he did there.

This is what this blog is about, recognition to those players that give you that ecstasy type of feeling when they are out there but the Premier soccer league will probably never see them like Vusi, and the South African soccer players that are on the verge of the Premier Soccer league, whether they are in the NFD or ABC Motsepe league (Vodacom league).

What they can do is sometimes indescribable in words but I will express it to the best of my ability. This is not a scout talking but a fan who knows what he wants to see when he goes to watch a game in big leagues, this is a blog about amateur and upcoming players, some will get to play premier soccer league soccer and some will not.

South African soccer players at lower levels are too good not to be talked about, check out the video to really understand and share the passion for SA soccer!