Richard Tebogo Henyekane: Striker who lived in the fast lane

1983-2015

FOUR months ago Richard Tebogo Henyekane buried his younger brother Joseph, also a former soccer professional, after he died in his sleep.

Now death has struck the family again.

Henyekane, who played as a striker or an attacking winger, was killed in a car crash in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The head-on collision between his VW Cross Polo and a truck also claimed the lives of four other occupants in Henyekane’s car.

All five are statistics of the annual slaughter that occurs on South African roads every Easter.

“We haven’t healed yet from the death of Joseph and now that wound is ripped wide open again,” Boitumelo Ganyaza, the brothers’ aunt, told one newspaper.

Henyekane was born in Galeshewe in Kimberley in the Northern Cape in 1983.

He honed his soccer skills at amateur side Naughty Boys before moving on to Basotho Tigers.

Henyekane turned professional with Premier United, making his debut with the club in February 2004.

But it was later that year, when the man dubbed the “Kimberley Express” moved to Lamontville Golden Arrows to become a livewire sharpshooter, that the nation sat up and took notice of the tricky, speedy striker with a nose for goals.

He propelled himself to national prominence when he found the net 19 times in the 2008/09 campaign. That tally included an incredible three hat-tricks in league games.

His performance earned him the Premier Soccer League’s Lesley Manyathela Award, the accolade for the top goal scorer of the season which is named after the former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana striker.

(Manyathela also died in a car accident, in Musina, Limpopo. He had been on his way to visit his mother on Women’s Day in 2003, when he was killed.)

The greatest game of Henyekane’s career was the MTN8 Final in October 2009 in which Arrows out-thought, outsmarted and out-manoeuvred Ajax Cape Town.

Arrows were in a mood to tame alligators that memorable night at the Orlando Stadium and went on to annihilate Ajax 6-0 in what was the longest final in the history of football in South Africa, thanks to stoppages due to power failures.

Big-spending Mamelodi Sundowns came knocking in 2010 and Henyekane moved from eThekwini to Tshwane.

He scored five goals when Sundowns recorded a record margin of victory in South African football history — a 24-0 demolition of lowly fourth division side LIVEWIRE SHARPSHOOTER: A moment of glory for striker Richard Henyekane Powerlines FC in 2012.

That remains his major contribution with mining magnate Patrice Motsepe’s Brazilians.

But for all his flair, Henyekane was also an inconsistent player, which is why he won only a paltry nine Bafana Bafana caps.

Off the field, the Kimberley Ex- press had his demons and often went off the rails.

He lived in the fast lane and his problems with discipline hampered his football potential which, sadly, was never fully realised.

He was travelling from a party in QwaQwa towards Bethlehem when he was killed.

Those in his circle have mentioned Henyekane’s fondness for strong liquor.

His former coach, Manqoba Mngqithi, under whose tutelage Henyekane blossomed at Arrows, has spoken about how he drank in a way that was not appropriate for an athlete.

“Let’s be honest, players don’t look after themselves. They need to realise that it is a very short career and they should not do anything that will harm their bodies and career,” said Mngqithi.

“The younger players should learn from these things. His death is sad because Richard was a good striker with devastating speed.

“No defender could keep up with him. He was a great person and wherever he was, the players

His former coach has spoken of how he drank in a way that was not appropriate for an athlete

looked up to him.”

The drinking sprees appeared to have adversely affected his career. What had initially seemed a dream move to Sundowns soon deteriorated into a nightmare as he spent more time twiddling his thumbs on the sidelines than displaying his undisputed talents on the field.

Last season he was shipped out on loan to Free State Stars, who were facing relegation at the time. His goals helped the team preserve their PSL status.

Stars find themselves in a similar situation again this term and death has robbed them of a man who could have helped them remain in the top league.

“We have lost someone who we had every trust was going to help us in our battle to stay in the PSL,” said Stars coach Kinah Phiri.

Henyekane’s last goal was scored in a 1-1 draw with Pirates in May.

Henyekane and his brother Joseph were inseparable in life.

They played together at Arrows and had such a striking physical resemblance that some people sometimes mistook them for twins.

The MTN8 final in 2009 was the biggest game of their lives, recorded for posterity in a picture of the two kissing the trophy.

Henyekane was buried in Kimberley yesterday. — Bareng-Batho Kortjaas