I needed to sell myself
Asavela Mbekile might have fitted in like a hand in glove when first slotted into the starting line-up at Orlando Pirates, but he had to play a waiting game. Football is a game of opportunities, and the 32-year-old defender must have been so hungry for his that he has grabbed it with both hands and impressed with his performances for the Soweto giants. It does not stop there… he comes with loads of experience gained from his time at Mamelodi Sundowns, where he won numerous trophies – who will ever forget his amazing display in the second leg of the 2016 Champions League final against Zamalek in Alexandria? Mbekile has ticked ‘good performances’ off the to-do list at Bucs; now for the trophies, as he reveals to Soccer Laduma’s Celine Abrahams in this interview.
Celine Abrahams: What a Soweto Derby it was last Saturday, with the 1-1 result perhaps being a true reflection of the game. What did you think of it?
Asavela Mbekile: We had a tough match against Kaizer Chiefs where we had to show our class and fight for an equalizing goal. That fighting spirit epitomizes Orlando Pirates and that’s the attitude we will take into these CAF matches as well. We travelled for over 24 hours to get to Tunisia and, within 72 hours of playing the Derby, we had another gruelling match in the CAF Champions League against Esperance on Tuesday. But we are not fazed by the hectic schedule because we knew that it would be like this in advance and, therefore, we are both mentally and physically prepared. The mood in camp is positive. Our mission in the group stages is simple: we want to be one of two teams that qualify for the quarterfinals.
CA: You’ve been there in the thick of things during the highs and lows of Orlando Pirates so far this season, having arrived just before the beginning of the campaign. How has the transition from Yellow and Blue to Black and White been for you?
Asavela Mbekile:
CA: Since you’d spent most of your time out in the stands at Mamelodi Sundowns the previous season, match fitness must have been a serious challenge.
AM: Yeah, I wasn’t playing (at Sundowns) and I was praying that I would somehow get a chance somewhere else, whether it was with Pirates or any other team. I was looking for a way out. It’s not easy to sit on the sidelines because you go to training every day with the intention of making it into the team. It’s never easy, but you need to stay positive when you find yourself in a situation like that. In football, anything can change in a split-second and you need to be ready for whatever it is that is coming your way. You can’t just sit there in that situation and complain and complain and do nothing about it. As for me, I pushed myself and a chance came for me to leave and I took it. In the last six months of my contract with Sundowns, Pirates came to me and they said they were interested in me and that I should come over and join them. I don’t think anyone would have said no to Pirates (laughs). I was excited about that because it showed me that there was some light at the end of the tunnel. The talks kind of died down over the months but, in the end, I signed and the rest is history.
CA: Who called you from Bucs and how exactly did the conversation go?
AM: The management of the team were talking to my agent most of the time because he had to take over the conversations and he kept me posted on what was happening. I’m not sure why it took longer to happen, but I’m glad that it did happen eventually. I didn’t feel bad when things died down because I prayed for a move and I knew that somehow God was going to come through for me and He did when the time was right for me to join the team. The technical team knew that I was looking for a team and they gave me a chance to come and prove myself because they knew what I was capable of doing even though I had a lack of game-time.
CA: What would you say are the differences between Pirates and Sundowns both on and off the field?
AM: They are both big teams. Our fan base is huge as compared to theirs, but in the last four or five years, Sundowns have had more success in terms of winning cups. That’s something we want to change. A big institution like Pirates has to be winning all the time!
CA: Did finding assistant coach Rhulani Mokwena at Bucs make things any easier?
AM: Honestly, I don’t think it really helped because I had to come in and prove to everyone that I was good enough to play. You know, as a footballer, you need to show everyone that you’re worth the money that the club has invested in you. In fact, I needed to sell myself to coach Micho (Milutin Sredojevic) because it was the first time that we got to work together, so it can’t be about history – I needed to get up every day and prove that I was good enough for the club. The relationship that I have with coach Rhulani didn’t make things easier. If anything, it actually put more pressure on me.
CA: As a new signing, you always need to prove yourself…
AM: Yes, that’s true. At training, I went all in to show the technical team that I had what it took to earn a place in the team. There are friendly games that we usually play when we are not in the squad and that’s where you need to do well. I think I did well where I created chances and we won most of those games. The technical team was obviously impressed with how I did because I then got a chance to join the senior team. What also helped me was that the coaches talk to us all the time about our game and areas that we need to improve on. Also, as a player, you need to look at yourself and your teammates fighting for the same position ywith you. There are certain qualities that the next player might have and you don’t, and that is something you will want to improve on so that you can be a player that your coach wants to have in his team. For instance, (Abbubaker) Mobara is a good crosser of the ball and that is something I work on as well to add to what I have. It’s healthy competition for us and it gives the coaches a bit of a headache. At Pirates, everyone gets along with each other and we sup- port one another, which is very important. When the environment is like that, it’s easier for the players to understand each other. All we do is worry about football and the work we need to do. No one thinks he is better than the other one, you see. We just want to win something for the team because we all know that the club hasn’t won anything in a long time. We want to be the ones to change that and be successful. Our supporters don’t deserve this at all…
CA: Which brings us to the next question. What have you guys done to the football gods, especially when it comes to cup competitions?
AM: Like I said, everyone wants to change the situation that we find ourselves in. The team has done well from the point where it used to be in the last three or four seasons ago. Both coach Micho and coach Rhulani have made a big difference, turning a team that struggled into title contenders. The mindset of every player here is all about winning. It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t go further in the Nedbank Cup because we really wanted to win it and to be knocked out of the competition at an early stage wasn’t our plan. It really hurt because we don’t want our supporters to be a laughing stock in the country. At the moment, they have nothing to show other supporters and that’s not how we want it to be. We want them to be able to walk around with smiles on their faces and brag about Orlando Pirates. We need to fight for the league and the CAF Champions League.
CA: Most notably, missed chances and questionable penalty takes have proved to be your undoing as a team.
AM: Ja, and it’s the second time that we have been knocked out of a cup competition through penalties. It’s something we need to work on as well, but again, penalties are a lottery, so you never know what will happen. Losing the Telkom Knockout final is still something that we kick ourselves about. Everyone thought we would win it and I think that’s where we got it wrong. We played a team that is not known for winning cups, so I can tell you how upset we all were. But it’s water under the bridge now. CA: The league race is still wide open.
AM: We also still have the league and I think is has been exciting for the supporters to see a nice race happening at the top between us, (Bidvest) Wits and Sundowns. Wits and Sundowns are honestly not making it any easier for us. Every time these two teams play, we watch because we want them to lose (laughs hysterically). But, in all honesty, it is tough. We need to push and make sure that we get both of them behind us because knowing Sundowns and their coach (Pitso Mosimane), it’s not going to be easy for them to slip up at this point. We all know what happened last season, so we have to take each game as it comes.
CA: Shooz, thanks for the chat and we hope the elusive silverware starts rolling in at Houghton soon.
AM: I hope so too! Thank you.
Beaver Nazo: Thoki, having just joined Black Leopards on loan from Mamelodi Sundowns, how are you feeling?
Thokozani Sekotlong: It feels good, man. This is a very hardworking team and they are ambitious too, which is the same with me. This is an opportunity for me to get some game-time, which will be good for me.
BN: Was it your idea to go out on loan?
TS: No, I didn’t request to move. The club (Sundowns) was in contact with my agent and the two parties agreed that I should go out to get some gametime. I didn’t have a problem with that because I need game-time.
BN: Why do you think game-time has been elusive for you at Downs?
TS: Honestly, I wouldn’t know why because I never asked the coach why I was not playing, and he never told me why I wasn’t playing. I think that is a coach’s question to answer, but there have never been any problems between us. One thing I understand is that the coach always has his plans. It is up to him if he needs me for a certain game or he needs someone else. When he selects the team, I have to support the team. The players playing are my teammates and are chosen to do the job for all of us as a team. That’s just how it is.
BN: Ok. When you joined the club at the beginning of last season, you obviously had high hopes, although it was a move that caught many people by surprise. First things first, why did you leave Free State Stars in the first place?
TS: I really don’t know what happened at Free State Stars, but they told me that I was injury-prone – that was after I came back from an injury. I had missed the second round of the season, so maybe they had found my replacement by then. I had a few injuries there. It was actually coach Pitso Mosimane who called me and told me that he knew that I was injured but that I could come and do my rehab at Sundowns and he would help me get better. I was supposed to come to Sundowns to start my rehab and, funnily enough, when I got there I was not injured anymore. That was probably because I hadn’t trained since I was injured and then became clubless. I didn’t know if I was fine or still injured. The Sundowns team doctor (Carl Tabane) said I must train and that he would check me after training. He did so and found that I was fine.
BN: Are you saying there was confusion as to whether you were injured or not?
TS: No, I was actually injured and treated at Free State Stars, but when I joined Sundowns, I didn’t know that I had properly healed. I thought I was still carrying the injury, but I wasn’t, so I didn’t need any rehab.
BN: It was then time to get down to the serious business, but things just didn’t work out…
TS: Look, man, this is life and this is football. A lot of things do happen in football and, you never know what is going to happen. You always hope for the best when you move. Even now, no one said it is going to be great at Leopards, but I am just here to fight for a place in the team
and hope for the best. They are a really good team with great players. I’m not going to just walk into the team; I will have to fight for it and work hard. Everywhere you go, you can never be certain if it’s greener pastures or not. I know that the grass is not always greener on the other side, but that cannot stop you from going and chasing your dreams. I have no regrets about joining Sundowns.
BN: You got your debut against your mother club, Sundowns, something that must have been an awkward situation for you…
TS: It really was, especially considering the fact that it came right after I left Sundowns. I was training with them just a week before facing them, but yeah, it had to happen.
BN: A 3-0 drubbing was the final score.
TS: The performance was a bit better than in the game before, against Bloemfontein Celtic, where we also lost by the same margin. It was just that Sundowns came with a better plan and showed their quality, but we gave it our best shot.
BN: Thoki, you were born in Mamelodi. Joining Sundowns, a team which has its roots in your hood, must have been a dream come true for you, right?
TS: Yeah, it was a childhood dream of mine to play for Sundowns. I always knew that one day I would represent Sundowns and I’m glad I did. BN: Tell us about the pressure you were getting from the locals, who must have always wanted to see you on the field since you are their local hero. TS: I think all I got from the locals was encouragement more than pressure. Everyone I bump into will only have positive things to say and encourage me to work hard and wait for my chance. BN: Interestingly, another Mams lad, George Lebese, was in the same predicament as you…
TS: Yeah but he is with SuperSport United now and he will surely be able to get some game-time there.
BN: Would the two of you chat about this?
TS: We did. Remember we came a long way back. He was playing for Arcadia Shepherds when I was playing for Tuks. We have a good relationship and, yeah, we talk a lot.
BN: Do you think you have failed young, up- and- coming footballers from Mamelodi who might think Sundowns will have second thoughts about roping in local players judging on how you have done?
TS: I wouldn’t say I failed. It just didn’t work out well on my first attempt, but I know I will bounce back and be the role model they wish I was. I guess everyone is destined for their own path, so I cannot say I failed them because one of them might come to Sundowns and be a success – that’s how football works sometimes.
BN: What kept you going despite not playing?
TS: It is my passion to play football and… you know, I have been through a lot in football. I have learnt that you cannot cheat football – everything you want out of the game, you have to work hard for. The moment you show negativity, you end up having negative results. It kills your confidence and your morale.
BN: What do you mean you “have been through a lot in football”?
TS: I left Tuks and went to Maritzburg United. The club later released me, and I went six months without a club. I then joined Cape Town All Stars in the NFD, but later left them and stayed another four months sidelined by injury. I then signed for Free State Stars, only to be told that I am injury-prone and released. That’s when I joined Sundowns.
BN: Competition for a starting berth at a club as big as Sundowns is massive – it’s do-or-die, make or break. How did you find it?
TS: Yeah, man, it’s tough. For example, Jeremy Brockie came in and you know when a new striker comes in… as a striker myself, I knew that he was there to compete with me and that is what motivated me to work even harder. The coach’s choice and plans are his and maybe I wasn’t working hard enough. It’s a learning curve for me to push harder wherever I go. In the end, I knew that I needed to get away so that I could get game-time, but I didn’t tell the club that because, at the same time, I was also willing to fight for my position if the club wanted me to. Like I said, Leopards came to me – I didn’t go out and seek a move. So I said, “Ok, let me go and hopefully they will use me.” Hopefully the team can get the best out of me because I am going to give them my best.
BN: Mwape Musonda has been in great form in front of goal…
TS: Like I said to you, football is like that. Remember when I went to Sundowns, there was Percy Tau, Khama Billiat and other great strikers, but I went there because I don’t shy away from any challenge. I like to challenge myself and I am excited to have joined a team that has the Absa Premiership leading goalscorer because it challenges me to do well and hopefully his goalscoring prowess will rub off on me.
BN: Thoki, thank you for letting us in on your journey. Good luck!
TS: It’s ok, my brother, anytime. Everything we do in life is for a reason and we learn from all the challenges we face.
“He never told me why I wasn’t playing.”