Matlaba is certainly his own man
STRIKER RAISED EYEBROWS WHEN HE OPTED TO JOIN BLACK LEOPARDS IN FAR-OFF VENDA
Thabo Matlaba has always been a strange player – a rare gem. He is as difficult to figure out as he is for attackers to get past him on the field.
He recently left many unble to understand why he opted for Black Leopards when he was released by Orlando Pirates at the end of last season.
With his talent and experience, he could have walked into the starting lineup at almost any team he wanted to go to and with rumours linking him with Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United doing the rounds at the time, he surprised many when he joined Lidoda Duvha, who are based in Venda, very far from the life he is used to in Johannesburg.
But that is the enigma he has always been. It is still puzzling to this day why he refused when one coach at Pirates wanted to convert him from a defender to an attacking player as he looked even more lethal going forward than when he had to defend.
He told Phakaaathi that part of his reason for joining Lidoda Duvha was to help the team realise their potential. “It’s not about readjustment, I am doing well here. I am an experienced player who is here to add value. I am here to help the young boys in the team by teaching them how to win. I am very happy here,” he said.
Matlaba had to get used to different coaches while at the Buccaneers and has had to deal with the same situation early in his life in Venda as the club have already changed coaches. But he sounds hopeful that the team have made a good decision in bringing Luc Eymael on board.
“We have a new coach so for now it is all about understanding his philosophy. It’s all about understanding his tactics. He is there to teach us new things. He won a cup with Free State Stars so he is the best coach for us and he will help us.
“We as the experienced players have to help him to deal with issues in the team so we can push the team as far up as we can,” he said.
“The change of coaches has not affected the team at all,” he added. “As you can see, we are improving our results. We beat Bloemfontein Celtic, we came up against Mamelodi Sundowns and did extremely well but were unlucky to lose. So, you can see the guys want to do well.
“I don’t think the coming of the new coach disturbed us in any way. He has given us confidence and everyone is raising their hand and saying they want to play. I am very happy with the new coach,” he said.
Matlaba was awed but not overwhelmed by the reception he received in his first game at Thohoyandou Stadium. That was because he is probably the first big-name player the club has ever been able to bring on board.
“I am very happy with the reception. Fortunately I went there from Orlando Pirates where there is always a crowd so I was not intimidated. It was definitely not the first time I played in front of such a crowd but I am humbled to have those people supporting us all the way. It is a big thing for the Venda people to support us like that. They are our 12th man,” he said.