Long walk to Orlando
Khumalo aiming to repay Matsantsa for his lifeline
THE route from Atteridgeville, Pretoria, to Orlando Stadium in Soweto is quite long and, in parts, full of potholes, road works and colourful street vendors selling everything from cellphone chargers to hangers and shoelaces.
If you like, you could take the freeway and brave the bumper-tobumper traffic or you could use the back route that takes you past troubled Diepsloot township.
SuperSport United fullback Sibusiso Khumalo’s road to Orlando Stadium, where his team will today contest the Telkom Knockout final against Platinum Stars, was a lot bumpier and left him with deep knife wounds in his back.
If you ever wondered what happened to a player Mamelodi Sundowns once chewed up and spat out, Khumalo’s story sheds light on this dark subject.
Little did he know that after signing for The Brazilians from Moroka Swallows in 2010, he was set for a sour meeting with capricious Dutchman, Johan Neeskens, who froze him out the team for the near two seasons he managed the club.
He was chucked out of the dressing room, told not to bother turning up for training and that even if a genocide of injuries were to hit the squad, he was never going to play.
He ended up playing in an obscure police amateur league in Midrand just to keep fit – a stray existence even dogs would snarl at.
“I was on the brink of giving up on my football career after the situation I went through at Sundowns,” time and penalties – away from repaying the club that gave his career possibilities an almighty reprieve. His long walk to Orlando is but one step away from a fairytale finish.
He is one of the players that have benefited from Gordon Igesund’s inclusion with some sparkling performances.
Matsatsantsa have beaten Free State Stars, Bidvest Wits and Orlando Pirates to get here but defending champions Dikwena will not relinquish the title without a blood-spattered struggle.
Stars had to eliminate Chippa United, Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns to get here – no easy feat. Khumalo is well aware of this.
“I must lift that cup come (today) as a show of gratitude for what SuperSport did for me. I was nowhere, not touching the ball, for two years.
“But the final is not going to be an easy game. Stars are plotting revenge after we beat them 3-1 at Atteridgeville in the league. We have to score first to heap pressure on them. They will be forced to take more risks and then maybe we can pounce.”