Being a leader is hard

With a few months left on his contract with SuperSport United, experienced defender Thulani Hlatshwayo has his work cut out for him, as he needs to perform consistently well on the field in order to earn an extension with the Tshwane-based club. The injury he sustained towards the end of last year did not help his case. But he is back on the pitch now and ready to inspire Matsatsantsa to a strong finish this season, with a CAF Champions League spot and the Nedbank Cup title still up for grabs. Soccer Laduma’s Tshepang Mailwane spoke to the 34-yearold about making a return from injury as he discusses being sidelined through injury. The former Orlando Pirates defender also talks about why he was worried about his contract when he was out nursing his knock.

Tshepang Mailwane: Hola Tyson, it’s great to have you with us this week. You were out with an injury for about three months, and you returned not so long ago. What was it like being out for that long?

Thulani Hlahtshwayo: It was a heavy situation. It challenged me mentally. If you look at it, I’ve never had a lot of injuries. It was hard for me to deal with it. I am left with a few months (of the

contract) at

SuperSport. Mentally, it was so difficult. Yes, you will have setbacks and Ramahlwe Mphahlele said to me after we played AmaZulu, “You came back as if you never left”. For me, it’s how you take care of yourself. We have a lot of youngsters in the team who make us run daily, which I really love so much. I am happy to be back and I am happy to do what I love.

TM: What really challenged you mentally, about the injury?

TH: I’ve known Gavin (Hunt) for many years, and

I know that he wants clean sheets. The team was conceding a lot, and I thought I needed to come back because I also believe that the less goals we concede, the better chance we have of going for the league. When I came back, we conceded against AmaZulu, (Mamelodi) Sundowns and Richards Bay, but when I look at those goals, I felt that it’s something we need to fix. Besides the coach, I also felt that I am the one who needed to speak to the guys. Gavin and I are the same; we hate losing. When we lose, even journalists should not touch us because we hate losing.

TM: What did you say when you spoke to the players?

TH: I told them that we need to keep clean sheets. For us to make this guy (Hunt) happy, we need to keep clean sheets. That’s it.

TM: How did your teammates respond to you, as one of the leaders in the team? TH: They listen to what I say. It’s respect. It’s not leadership when people fear you. That’s how you take care of home. Being a leader is hard. It’s not easy because I use that in my personal life as well, with my wife and kids. It’s hard. I feel at home at SuperSport and when I feel at home, I am going to give it my all. Also, I know how Gavin is. I know his mindset. I know how he thinks. Sometimes I just need to look at his face to tell you that we need to work because he is not in the happiest of moods. I can tell how he is feeling by just looking at him. We have a love-hate relationship and that’s part of the game. It shows that we are still hungry.