Soweto derby Zuma the flavour and Mlambo the enigma
The 23-year-old is the flavour of the moment. His touch, turn and defencesplitting pass leaves legions of Chiefs fans breathless
● Dumisani Zuma was born in France — not the European country, but the location in Pietermaritzburg.
It was at this humble abode that the 23year-old and his late parents hosted many a braai in celebration of their favourite team Kaizer Chiefs’ victory over sworn enemy Orlando Pirates.
“Almost everyone at home is a Chiefs fan,” explained Zuma, the former Maritzburg City player who joined Chiefs via Bloemfontein Celtic at the beginning of last season.
“My father would ensure that on every Saturday of the Soweto derby there’s enough meat for a family braai.
“When the game was over, my father would call my aunt (his sister) and they would have a long conversation about how the game went. So I can say that my father and aunt are the ones who made me fall in love with Chiefs.”
On Saturday Zuma squares off against Pirates, the team he was told at a young age Amakhosi must never lose to.
Zuma’s aunt, Zandi, was so concerned this week about his fitness for the derby that she called him to enquire about the bandage he had on his right knee. Aunt Zandi had seen Zuma in the pictures of the Chiefs training shown on TV on Wednesday.
“She called me yesterday [Thursday] asking how I was doing as she saw my strapped knee. She’s the one who’s always interested in my football career and my progress."
Concern about knee
The concern about Zuma’s fitness was also felt at Chiefs training on Friday when coach Giovanni Solinas had a brief chat with him about his knee.
Solinas cannot stomach another injury to an attacking midfielder ahead of the Telkom Knockout last-16 clash against Black Leopards today. He has already lost Lebohang Manyama, who was terribly unlucky to have his elbow fractured in a car accident early this week.
With Manyama out for six weeks and striker Leonardo Castro still doubtful for the derby, Zuma — the player Solinas has described as dynamic and a future Bafana Bafana star — is expected to be the conductor of most of the attacking moves for Chiefs, first against Leopards today and more importantly against Pirates next Saturday.
Solinas’s concern is understandable given the fact that other Chiefs strikers have been firing blanks for some time now.
In the absence of Castro, it is Bernard Parker‚ Ryan Moon‚ Bongi Jayiya and Gustavo Paez who are the other forward options for Solinas.
The problem with the quartet is that they have managed a total of just one goal between them in 27 appearances in all competitions.
Zuma is not quite the one expected to fire in all the goals, but his creativity in midfield is what Solinas is hoping will inspire and help the misfiring strikers to get the goals.
“I’m right-footed but the experience that I have had with many coaches has made it easy for me to play in all attacking areas in the midfield and up front,” said Zuma, who was signed by Ernst Middendorp as a striker
My father and aunt ... made me fall in love with Chiefs Dumisani Zuma
Kaizer Chiefs midfielder
at Celtic in 2014. He had been playing for Real Kings when they were in the second division.
On the expectations of how they would fare in the Soweto derby, which was sold out on Friday, Zuma admitted that as players they owe their fans a lot.
“We lost 3-1 against Pirates last season and that alone means we have to do everything for our fans to win this match,” Zuma said.
Zuma’s relationship with Solinas was solidified almost immediately after the Italian joined Amakhosi in July. “Coach Solinas has shown confidence in me and I have to repay that with good performances. He’s the coach who knows what he wants. Even at training when he doesn’t get what he demands of us he will push us until we deliver. I enjoy working with him.”
Though Zuma understands and appreciates his value at Chiefs, he has grown enough to accept that not everything revolves around him.
“I don’t take it for granted that I should start each and every match, but I’m always ready to contribute to the team,” he said.
“The win in the derby is important. It will make my aunt very happy. It will also remind me of the best times I shared with my father in France when Chiefs won a derby.”