Manyama on ‘history’,
LEBOGANG MANYAMA is, on current form, without doubt the best footballer on show in the PSL. The Cape Town City captain is in such good nick that anybody suggesting anything to the contrary must surely be living on Mars.
City host Free State Stars in a Telkom Knockout semi-final at the Athlone Stadium tomorrow afternoon (3pm kickoff) – and, if the Capetonians are to emerge victorious, then Manyama is certain to play a major role.
From the very first game of the season, Manyama has been in breathtaking form.
City have won six games on the trot over the last few weeks, but they aren’t taking things for granted against the Free Staters.
“Cup games are different,” said Manyama. “Stars are last on the PSL log at the moment, but we all know that form means nothing in this competition. You also have to remember that Stars knocked out Wits and Kaizer Chiefs in previous rounds… We will give them the respect they deserve because nothing is easy in the PSL.
“But this is our home game, so we want to control the tempo and we want to go out and attack. At the same time, though, we also know that we have to be cautious. In games like this, sometimes a team scores first and then they are hard to break down. So we will be looking to attack and score when we get opportunities, but we are just as aware that we don’t want to concede.”
As for his role as captain, Manyama doesn’t see it as anything special, rather as just an extension of his job as a footballer on the field. They always say the best leaders set high standards for themselves and the rest follow the example. Manyama’s excellence is infectious and, as a result, he is able to drag that little bit extra from his teammates.
“It’s obviously an honour to captain this City squad, but (it) doesn’t affect me in any way,” he said. “I always play the same way, I always try to do my best. It’s always about my job, about wanting to improve my game and contributing to the success of the team. For me, it’s never about me, it’s always about the team.”
As City head into tomorrow’s crunch game against Ea Lla Koto, it’s not just the carrot of making it to a prestigious Cup final, but there’s also the added incentive of the squad pocketing half of the R4-million prize money on offer for the eventual winners. But, even so, Manyama insists that’s not the focus.
“We may have done well so far, but we haven’t really achieved anything,” said the City captain. “It is looking good though, we are heading in the right direction… Right from the start, the aim at City, as a new club, has always been to make history – and, tomorrow, against Stars, we want to continue to do so.”