Doc’s memory bank: The memory etched in my mind

The moment I will never forget, when the going was getting tough, in the 1996 Afcon, Neil showed up. It was 0-0 in the final against Tunisia and when we walked through the tunnel for the second half, Neil came to me and said, “This is the time we need you the most, Doc. You need to dance!” No one could have prepared us for that championship, but through the leadership from government, SAFA, coach Clive Barker and his technical team, Neil as our captain, the players and the nation fully behind us, we made history. Neil was our coach on the field because he worked hand-in-hand with coach Clive. They both just told me not to worry about defending and focus on creating chances and win the team the trophy. That’s the memory that is still etched in my mind. Another memory, I remember in one Soweto Derby Thabang Lebese (may his soul rest in peace) started playing to the gallery around the 80th minute, with us leading. He lost possession, in the process, but luckily it resulted in our throw-in. You should have seen Neil running from his central defence position across the field to the right-hand side, where Thabang was, and he told him, “The game is not over until the final whistle. Come on, man! What if you lose possession and these guys go on and score?” That’s how strict Neil was on the field and he was always aware of the critical phases of the game. His leadership is second to none. Even if we are in the final, if he gets a chance to address the team, he will leave you so motivated and ready to take on the world. He would reprimand us whenever he felt we were not pulling our weight because he was not just about motivating us. He was always a father-figure to all of us and a good example of a family man because he loved his wife, kids and the whole family so much. I was lucky to be captained by guys like Neil, Steve Komphela, Lucas Radebe and Brian Baloyi, to mention just four, and you’d really feel their presence and leadership. These guys made me realise what it means and takes for one to be a captain, which is why I asked the question I asked earlier about the tag “Captain my Captain”.