LEONARD XABA
(PART 3)
How did you find things when you linked up with Free State Stars?
We had so many young boys coming from unknown leagues, like David Radebe, Jimmy Kauleza, Tsweu Mokoro and Pitso Lekone. We were the youngsters in the team and the senior players treated us very well. They didn’t take it as if we were coming to take their positions. Whenever we were in camp, I was always sharing a room with the late Joe Bwalya, but I was not playing. Bwalya’s centre-back partner was Petrus “Bricks” Rantili, but when we played Jomo Cosmos one time, the latter got injured and had to go out to get stitched above his eye. That’s how I got a chance to play. Bwalya told me, “He monna, when this guy comes back, they must find a position for him on the side, not here with me. You must stay here.” And it happened like that.
Ha, ha, ha, it seems Bwalya didn’t really rate his centre-back partner that highly!
Ha, ha, ha, maybe. Roy Barreto, I think, believed in youngsters, while Themba Sithole also had an eye for raw talent. Even now, when I talk to him, I always say, “Thank you. You gave me the platform and I didn’t disappoint you.” So, ja, the guys were cool with us and showed us the way. In my second season, I was vice-captain to Goodman Mazibuko. The coach changed the set-up because the captain had been Bwalya, with Rantili his vice-captain. But now it was now Mazibuko, me and then Rantili as the second vice-captain. You could see that they saw leadership qualities in me, as you know that they say leaders are born, not made. That’s what I’m always preaching to Siphiwe… ha, ha, ha, interestingly Siphiwe Mkhonza is my friend and my child is Siphiwe… I always tell him, “Siphiwe, boy, people see the leadership qualities in you, so don’t disappoint. As much as you have the pressure of your dad having been a professional player, you don’t have to disappoint because one day, when you get a chance to be in the professional set-up, it will be easy for you. So, you have to be disciplined.” So far, I’m happy with him, he’s very disciplined and I think he takes after his father.
Interesting events then happened in your career after leaving Ea Lla Koto.
Remember the League bought Free State Stars and Ria Stars. Hellenic wanted me, Dynamos also wanted me together with Bwalya. Remember Steve Komphela was coaching Dynamos. I was like, “No, I can’t go to Giyani, it’s far.” Mind you, I was in Qwa-Qwa, which was another kasi/village sort of… I mean, you know Qwa-Qwa. I then decided, “No, let me go to ed’robheni (to town), not Giyani.” I said I wanted to go to Cape Town. They spoke to the late Bab’ (Mike) Mokoena and they booked a flight to Cape Town for me. There was a player named Alexis Motaung, Teboho Mokoena’s father. I think there was a raw deal that Hellenic felt they got from Bab’ Mokoena. Apparently, Motaung was at Hellenic and then moved to Free State Stars, and it was said that Stars didn’t pay Hellenic for his services. So, Hellenic wanted to do the same with me. They wanted me for free, while Ntate Mokoena wanted money,
uyang’thola (you get my point)? I stayed there, Ntate Mokoena called me and said,
“He monna, I was talking to Mato Madlala, you have to go to Golden Arrows.” I was very happy at Hellenic and had settled in, was used to the guys, and now I had to go to Durban. But I didn’t have a problem with it. Mato phoned me and told me she would be booking me a flight, this and that. Khabo Zondo, as well, called me. He was asking me, “Ufunani lapho wena? Woza uzodlal’ ibhola (What are you doing there? Come and play football).” Ha, ha, ha, I told him
ngiyazwakala (I’m coming) and that’s how I joined Arrows. You remember I went to Hellenic again, on loan from Arrows?
Correct.
That was the 2002/03 season. At Arrows, there was favouritism, those things of uLunga kumele adlale (has to play) ahead of uNkosana, ukhe wabona (you get the point)? I was not used to that, I was used to players working to be in the starting XI. What I was noticing was that whenever we were playing teams that were rough in the tackle, we would be played, but when we played against ama team angathi amnandi (teams that were knocking it around), then we would never play and sometimes we wouldn’t even make the 18-man squad. Hellenic then saw that this guy is not playing. The coach there was Neil Tovey and the team was in a relegation fight. I told them, “If you guys want me to come there on loan, talk to Arrows”, and then they spoke to Arrows. Meanwhile, Professor (Ngubane) wanted me at African Wanderers, Afzal Khan wanted me at Manning
Rangers. They could see I wasn’t playing. I remember Khabo called me and asked that we meet at a hotel to talk. I went there, we met and spoke. He said, “A lot of teams from here, especially Rangers and Wanderers, want you, but I would advise you to go away to Hellenic, who also want you. You’ll then come back a better player next season.”
That seemed a fair then?
deal. And
The weather was a huge challenge at first because, as you know, Cape Town can have four seasons in one day. But it was nice for me to be in an urban area, not a rural one, and I enjoyed myself. It was good to be there. I met the late Joas Magolego, Albert Kometsi, Daniel Matsau, Russel Khuzwayo and Gareth Ncaca. After I went back to Arrows, I remember this one time I was coming from church with Siphiwe Mkhonza and we were preparing to go and watch Vodacom Challenge games, and then I saw that myself, together with Manqoba Mkhize, Dono- van Brown and Ishmael Peega were being let go. That’s how I left Arrows to join Bidvest Wits. I think at one stage Hellenic wanted Roger de Sa to come and coach them. I had his numbers because while I was at Free State Stars, I was in contact with him, wanting to go and play at Wits so I could be nearer to my family in Jo’burg. Later, he came to Hellenic, watched us playing friendlies and we again spoke. After I left Arrows, Cappy Matutoane from the Players Union gave him a call on my behalf and Roger said I could come and train with them and we’ll see what will happen. That’s how I joined the club. I had a good time there. Remember I was not in the starting XI in the beginning, as I was used only as cover. They had Thierry Mouyouma,
Neil Winstanley, Ashley Makhanya, Tsietsi Mahoa and Ryan Hodgskin at the back. It was good to be cover for those guys. The problem started in the second season, but I had to fight my way to be in the starting XI. Winstanley left to join Mamelodi Sundowns, then I’m like, “It’s me and Mouyouma as centre-backs!” Isaac Mabotsa then came to join us. From (Kaizer) Chiefs, we knew him as a right back. Guess what?
Huh? Roger played him as a centre-back!
Oh no.
I’m telling you. But you need to be slim
(clever) as a player… so I started noticing it during pre-season. I was like, “What! I’m not playing and Isaac is playing centre-back, kanjani
(how)?” But I kept pushing. You see, there’s one thing about me, my work ethic never gave coaches a chance to drop me. Looking back, sometimes I say thanks to Lungisani Ndlela. He was playing for Moroka Swallows at the time and this one time we were preparing to play against them at Germiston Stadium. Mouyouma is not that tall, Mabotsa is not that tall. We were just busy before training, kicking the ball around … and then there comes Nelson Bandura, our goalkeeper coach. He was coming from behind me, and he was like, “Lenny!” and I said, “Sure, Nelson.” He asked, “Are you ready?” I said, “What do you mean?” He said, “No, are you ready? I’m asking.” I told him, “Mina I’m always ready.” As we were busy with the warm-up, I kept wondering to myself why he asked me that question. It was then time to play an XI v XI game and Roger was selecting the first team, and then he called me over to the first team. “Leonard, come this side.” Inside, I’m like, “Me? I’m going to play tomorrow?” He then said to me, “You see, they are going to be pumping balls up to Gareth Devine and he’s going to control them with his hands. You must contest for everything in the air.” It only dawned on me a little later that ‘Gareth Devine’ was, in fact, Lungisani Ndlela – Roger de Sa’s dry humour for you. Well, it happened like that during the game, where I was following Ndlela everywhere he went.