Wayne Arendse
Considered down and out six months ago after starting just a single game last term, Wayne Arendse has become a huge stabilising figure at Mamelodi Sundowns, the team with the best defensive record this season.
After seasons in the doldrums, the defender is making his mark
KICKOFF: How does it feel to be playing regularly again? WAYNE ARENDSE: All is going well and according to plan because I told myself I needed to push harder this season, and luckily for me it has worked out. All I want to do is improve on that. Being top of the log at the Christmas break and having won the Telkom KnockOut Cup definitely felt good. Hopefully there are even better things to come. You spent a lot of time not playing. How did that feel? Obviously it is never good because you start doubting yourself. Fortunately I kept telling myself that I knew my qualities and all I needed was to put in a bit extra in my game and it is now paying off. However, just because I am playing doesn’t mean I should relax … I want to go on like this until the end of the season. When you join a big team there are obviously lots of good players and you must be aware of that and be patient. The bottom line is that you need to know that when your chance comes, you need to make very good use of it. How did you keep yourself focused through that period of not playing? I felt down and lost. I was frequently asking myself whether I was good enough to play at Sundowns. What helped is that my wife moved up to Johannesburg with me when I left Cape Town. She kept telling me to keep on pushing. Even the coaches kept telling me that anyone can play at any given time and I thought to myself that if there was an injury or suspension I needed to be ready. Did you ever think about leaving? For any footballer who hasn’t been playing there will come a time when he says, ‘I need to go’. There was a time when I wanted to leave – I spoke to the club, but they said they still needed me here because there was a few players leaving. I respected their decision because I still had a contract, so I stayed. But things played out in my favour and I did well in preseason. That is when I also started backing myself by telling myself that I am good enough. I am grateful for the opportunity. You have been very much a bit-part player since you arrived at Sundowns in 2012. How have you conditioned yourself mentally and physically? I choose to keep my focus on one game at a time. If I do well in one game I then remind myself that you are only as good as your last game. Though I have been playing regularly, I am still keeping to the basics and being as principled as ever because that is what gets you to do the job here at Sundowns. Do you worry about being dropped and then struggling to get back into the team? That is why I have never put myself under pressure. All l do is say, ‘Look, this is your chance now, so make use of it’. Once I start worrying about if I will make the team for the next game, then I will have problems and make mistakes. As a ‘regular’, how do you keep motivating those on the sidelines? Anyone can play at any given time – when there are injuries and suspensions there will always be an equally capable replacement. They are here in the PSL as professionals; this is not only about being on the field, but also off it too. I am sure the guys here at the club know that come February the CAF Champions League will start, there will be Nedbank Cup and League games that will come one after the other ... so there will definitely be a game that they will play. How is Pitso Mosimane handling a squad with so much quality? Pitso will always try to keep the guys who are not playing motivated and keep those who are playing on their toes and remind them not to relax. Such is Pitso’s nature that after the Telkom Final he gave us the freedom to go out, but the next day everyone was focused for the next game. There are a lot of positive vibrations in the squad now. You came to Sundowns to win medals. I suppose you value the Telkom one most? I felt I contributed more, so that always gives you reason to be extra happy. This one was special because I was playing in the Final. However, all the medals are special because it is always a team effort. How much do you want the League title? We want it badly. We lost it disappointingly last season so this year we want it back at Chloorkop. We are in a
“I remind myself that you are only as good as your last game.”
good position and we want to stay there until the end of the season. God-willing, we will win it. Patrice Motsepe has spoken about his desire for the club to conquer the continent. As players, how much do you want it? We really want to win the Champions League – this
is where the quality of the squad comes in because the coaches will need to find the right balance in using the players. The belief is there that we can conquer Africa, just as Orlando Pirates have represented us well. Last year we beat TP Mazembe at home and lost by a slight margin away and they went on to win the Champions League, and that shows that we are not far away; we are actually there. It is just up to us to believe that we can go into Africa and win this trophy. Having seen what Pirates have done, it is possible for us to win it. What is the situation with your contract with the club, and how long do you see yourself staying with Downs? My contract expires at the end of the season. How long I stay here will depend on the club – if the club decides to renew my contract then that is good and I will stay. The decision about my future with the club is in the club’s hands, so I cannot say how long I will stay on.