I don’t need to have a chat with the coach

Mamelodi Sundowns, thanks to their exertions on the continent, coupled with their domestic demands, play approximately 50 games a season, given that they often delve into the latter stages of the various competitions that they participate in. On average, it means that over the last five seasons, the side from Chloorkop has played over 250 games in all competitions. Reyaad Pieterse has been with the club for five years and, in this time, he has made just 21 appearances, which amounts to a paltry 4% of all matches played in that period. One would think that this limited game-time would spur players on to seek greener pastures, but Pieterse explains why he has no qualms about biding his time, where at present he is third-choice behind Ronwen Williams and Denis Onyango. In this conversation, the lanky net-minder reveals why he doesn’t mind waiting despite his limited minutes and talks about the security behind remaining with the Tshwane giants than chasing game-time elsewhere.

Delmain Faver: Reyaad, just four appearances in all competitions for Mamelodi Sundowns in the last two seasons for you… You’ve featured once this campaign but you remain a regular member of the squad. How would you rate your campaign so far?

Reyaad Pieterse: To be honest with you, of course, every footballer wants to play, you know. That’s the ideal goal. But I always say iron sharpens iron, so at the end of the day, the fact that one is there, putting in the work, you know. Ronwen (Williams) and Dennis (Onyango) have been doing very well, so competition is tight and stiff, but that’s how it should be at top institutions and top clubs. So, for me to have something like this (the PSL’s Player Transition Programme) also, to take your mind and stress away from football, is ideal.

DF: How difficult or how easy is it to wake up every morning knowing that you are the third-choice between the sticks, knowing how rare it is to see goalkeepers being rotated? How do you keep motivated and stay modified knowing that your chances of playing are slim?

RP: It’s a good question, but to be honest with you, I know that, maybe you know that… what do they say? Opportunity favours the prepared mind. So, for me, it’s just to stay prepared, stay mentally focused. You know, it’s easy to get sidetracked and fall off the rails, but I have a beautiful family that I know I need to take care of. My parents obviously are looking out for me and I never ever want to disappoint my family. So, I try and give my all. Sometimes obviously, it’s not happening the way one wants it from time to time, but that’s obviously God sending you a message. So, for me, it’s just to wake up, stay motivated, stay prepared, keep working hard because, like I say, opportunity favours the prepared mind.

DF: It is no secret that Mamelodi Sundowns are the best in terms of remuneration in the league. Would you say this is part of the reason why players prefer to stay on at the club despite limited game-time, given that there’s a 90% chance of having your salary significantly reduced elsewhere?

RP: It’s not a lie that. I mean, if you look at the economy and truthfully speaking… I mean, who wants to go to another club? And there’s opportunity for you not to play, not to get your money, for your money to come late. No, we are in a day and age where you can’t afford for stuff like that to be happening. I mean, I have kids that go to school, you know, live

lihoods, people are looking up to me as a breadwinner to look after (them) and make sure things are happening and moving. There’ll always be a perception whether you are doing good, whether you’re doing bad, but it’s just for you to stay focused and not get sidetracked from the noise outside.

DF: What are the conversations you are having with coach Rhulani Mokwena regarding your situation?

RP:

To be honest, I don’t need to be having any chats with any coach. I know what I need to do and, like I said, iron sharpens iron. So, from my part, it is just to give my best. I know what I need to do and irrespective of what the coaches may say, you know as a professional athlete what you need to do, and I don’t need to have a chat with the coach to figure out what I need to do. It’s just the guys that are playing ahead of me are doing very well. It’s hard to change a winning team as well, so you just have to wait for your opportunity and try and grab it with both hands when it comes.

DF: Do you fancy your chances of eventually usurping Ronwen Williams to become the club’s number one?

RP: I always fancy my chances. I believe in a living God and with hard work, I believe anything is possible.

since 2016 but has only spent three full seasons in total with the side. He has had four loan transfers in total – two at Chippa United and another two at Richards Bay FC. Despite his lack of minutes time at the Houghton-based outfit, where he is behind the likes of Olisah Ndah, Thapelo Xoki and Nkosinathi Sibisi in the centre-back pecking order, insiders have hailed the lanky defender’s attitude in training. Despite being used sparingly again this campaign, the 26-year-old has given a good account of himself whenever called upon, having featured in three matches in all competitions this season. Soccer Laduma recently caught up with the KwaZuluNatal-born player who has been remarkably positive in the face of adversity.

Delmain Faver: It’s not easy being in a position where you wake up every morning, show up for training, do your best, yet somehow on matchday, you find yourself sitting on the bench … or even worse, in the stands. Where does the mental fortitude come from considering you have been in this situation since you got to Orlando Pirates in 2016?

Sandile Mthethwa: I think it’s something that I went through at Pirates since I came here to the club. It’s something that has been a learning stage for me and that’s how I learnt football and how football works. It’s not about football only, it’s about life (too). In life, there are some things that you can’t change and that you don’t have the power to change, but you can manage them and you can work around them.

DF: Go on… SM:

So, on that, patience is the key and waiting for your time is the key to say that just open your heart for the ones that are playing because it’s their time, they have to play. When you get your time, you also want that, for them to support you because you were supporting them. When it’s like that, when the hearts are open and everyone has good hearts to you because you had a good heart to them, the luck is gonna be on your side because you are clean and you don’t hold grudges or whatsoever with anyone, you understand?

DF: Do you ever look at yourself and wonder if there’s something you did wrong or whether you are not doing enough to convince the coach to select you as part of his starting XI?

SM:

I also can’t say that the coaches don’t like me or whatsoever because if I can tell you, there are 32 players and you are only able to play 11, you understand? So, you want me to say play me and not play the other centre-backs? I can’t say that because they could say the same thing to me.

DF: One thing that is impressive about you is your ability to slot in and be there as if you’ve always been a regular. One such example was when you featured against Kaizer Chiefs last year and you scored the all-important goal to win your club the Soweto Derby in a Nedbank Cup semi-final. Give us more insight into that…

SM: So, you can’t run away from that. The decision comes from the coach. If the coach says, ‘In today’s match, I need to play these guys’, then you need to accept that, you understand? Keep working and your turn is gonna come. When your turn comes, you need to use it and show that you were not outside because you are not a good player, you were outside because you are around good players.

Just open your heart for the ones that are playing Another man who knows all about waiting is Sandile Mthethwa. The lanky defender has been on the books of the Buccaneers