MASHEGO DOFFS HAT TO CHENENE
Mates chase Golden Boot
KATLEGO Mashego might be on the verge of winning the Absa Premiership’s Golden Boot, but what has been more impressive for him this season is the performance of Moroka Swallows teammate Bennett Chenene.
Mashego leap-frogged longtime leader Bernard Parker of Kaizer Chiefs in the league scorers ’ standings following his brace against former club Golden Arrows on Wednesday.
Mashego now sits with 13 goals, one more than Parker, with two matches remaining.
Chenene is following hot on his teammate ’ s heels, third in the sharp-shooter ’ s table with 10 goals, and there is a friendly competition between the two players as to who will finish on top. Mashego is full of admiration for his teammate.
“For me, Bennett is the best player of the season by far. It is very unfortunate that he is not in the national team. He is without a doubt the best leftfooted player in South Africa,” said the Dube Birds ’ striker.
“He likes scoring and so do I. The race is now on to see who will finish with more goals,” chuckled Mashego.
Sadly for the club, the diminutive Chenene leaves Swallows at the end of the season to join SuperSport United.
Should the 30-year-old Mashego win the Golden Boot, he will be the second consecutive Birds player – and fourth in eight years – to achieve the feat after veteran striker Siyabonga Nomvethe won last season with 20 goals.
In the 2005-2006 season Mame Niang, now at Pretoria University, top-scored with 14 goals and in 2007-2008 Zambian James Chamanga, also with 14 goals, scored the most.
For Mashego, scoring goals is only part of his job.
“All I wanted to do this season was to contribute to the success of the club. As a striker, I am judged on my goals scoring, so I ’ m glad to see the returns on the work I ’ ve been putting in. But I will only reflect on my overall contribution and performance once the season is over. ”
Swallows have scored the third-highest number of goals (40) in the league, behind the top two sides on the log – Kaizer Chiefs (47) and Platinum Stars (44).
Nomvethe and Bafana Bafana midfielder Lerato Chabangu have also been valuable contributors to the Birds ’ total goal tally so far in the season, both netting five times.
But Mashego has been their star. The former SuperSport United and Orlando Pirates ’ striker downplayed suggestions that his stint with Swallows has been a revival of his career following a placid run with Golden Arrows.
“People tend to think that when a player leaves a big team they won ’ t be able to achieve as much.
“You must remember, I never started at Pirates and I never intended on ending my career there. It is not true, then, that I have revived my career at Swallows. It just shows that I have found a team that plays well and I fit into the system,” he said.
Mashego needs at least three goals from the remaining matches against SuperSport and Bloemfontein Celtic to double the prize money that goes with the Golden Boot.
If the leading scorer nets 15 or fewer he gets R25 000, with the prize money going up by R25 000 increments in five-goal bands after that with a total of R100 000 on offer for anyone who matches or breaks Collins Mbesuma ’ s mark of 25 scored in 2004-2005.