‘Tyson’ not in a friendly mood for Mauritania
GOOD things happen to good guys, and it serves as a reminder of the silver lining to be found in a tumultuous, decaying society. Thulani Hlatshwayo is such a good guy, and the acceleration of his football career since joining Wits in 2014 is proof that belief, coupled with hard work and dedication, eventually pays off.
Now, after a superb start to the new PSL season, Hlatshwayo is eager to transfer his brilliant club form to the international stage with Bafana Bafana.
First up for Bafana are Mauritania in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, where there is more than a whiff of revenge in the air. The fixture is scheduled for the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Friday (7.05pm kickoff).
In September last year, the national side were embarrassed 3-1 by little-known Mauritania in Nouakchott, a defeat that effectively put paid to the South Africans’ chances of qualifying for Gabon in 2017.
After Friday’s match, Bafana will face Egypt in the annual Nelson Mandela Challenge friendly, scheduled for Tuesday at Orlando Stadium.
Hlatshwayo is another successful product of the famed Ajax Cape Town youth academy and, after a five-year spell in the Cape side’s PSL squad – 2009-2014 – he made the jump to Wits. And he’s continued to mature into a top-class defender and leader. Now the skipper of the Students, Hlatshwayo kicked off the season by not just anchoring his team’s central defence, but also chipping in with a valuable goal in each of last week’s victories over Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
Hlatshwayo is a warrior. He’s an uncompromising, give-it-all footballer, and he never shirks a tackle or a challenge. Appropriately nicknamed “Tyson”, he’s combative and pugnacious.
Unlike his moniker, though, he’s an absolute gentleman off the field. Pleasant and amiable, Hlatshwayo is the complete contrast of the arrogant, self-aggrandizing footballers often found in the PSL.
Looking ahead to Bafana’s upcoming fixtures, he was adamant the team would be determined to win. With nothing at stake – Bafana cannot qualify for the 2017 Afcon – he still insisted there was plenty to play.
“It’s about pride for the country,” said Hlatshwayo. “There are no friendly games when you play for South Africa. We will make sure we play to the best of our abilities to win the match because to be called up to the national team is an honour. They say you are only as good as your last game, so if given a chance to play I will give my best. We have to get a result because we are playing at home.”
As for his knack of getting goals, Hlatshwayo said it was all part of job and his desire to always make a contribution to the success of his team.
“They always say a good defender is the one who scores goals,” he said. “At the moment, it is just that I am in the right place at the right time and, given a chance, I will go forward and try to score.”
With the Ajax Cape Town duo of Rivaldo Coetzee (chicken pox) and Prince Nxumalo (hamstring injury) withdrawn from the squad, Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba named two replacements in Pirates striker Thabiso Kutumela and Chippa United defender Diamond Thopola.
“The mandate is to build a side for 2022,” said Mashaba. “The team that went to the Olympics, and the team won the Cosafa Cup in Namibia, I was in charge, assisted by the coaches of the Under-23 and Under-20 sides. We are on that mission... We will try to use all the players in this camp for the matches against Mauritania and Egypt as we want all of them to get some action.
“We know people are expecting results and so are we, because results are what it is about.
“But, at the same time, we have to give these youngsters a chance to blend in as well. Development takes time.”