I am Benedict Vilakazi …and this isi My Story

Every footballer has a story to tell. A story that so often goes untold because it has nothing to do with the glitz and glamour of where they are right now. Rather, it’s the raw untold story of how they got there. Their personal account of a road less travelled. The reason it’s so important to give these incredible footballers a platform to tell these stories is that the pedestal we place them on for all to see seems very unattainable to young South African boys and girls who feel trapped in their environment, or feel their own journeys will never result in the greatness that they see their heroes enjoying, and so throw in the towel not knowing just how close they really are. Strap up and strap in as Benedict ‘Tso’ Vilakazi tells you his story.

Football is all that mattered to me

I’ve been in love with football for as long as I can remember. Since my days as a youth, it was all that mattered to me. So, for example, when I would be sitting with my friends and they would tell me about the latest musicians, I would have to tell them, “I do not know those people.” But if you asked me about any soccer player, I would tell you everything you needed to know about them. I grew up in a Christian home and my father used to be an archbishop, so we had a church at home. So, it was church and football. I grew up praying and I still remember how my father would pray for me when I went to go play games.

Tso The Mastermind…

I was very naughty as a child. I was the one who planned everything, but you would never find me at the scene of the crime. I was more of a behind-thescenes type of child, and as a result, my brothers would often get beatings from my parents until one day a relative told my father, “What if you stopped beating the two kids that you always catch and start beating the one that is never around. Then we will see if the mischief continues.” Long story short, my very first beating signalled the end of my brothers’ trauma as well.

Maybe I won’t make it as a professional…

For many people, my professional journey seemed like it happened in the blink of an eye, like it was easy, but things are never that simple. For me, there we always people saying – “You can’t do it.” And when you receive as much rejection as I did, you start to think - maybe I won’t make it as a professional and these people are actually right. But there were also those who would say, “You can do it.” I needed to hear that. It gives you the motivation to just keep on pushing despite the circumstances you are facing.

Rejected by Chiefs, Wits & Jomo…

My first rejection came at Chiefs – they were still training at RAU. Farouk Khan was the coach and I spent some time training under him. After a few days of being there, there was no feedback from the coach, just silence. He did not say, “Boy, these are the things you need to improve on.” There was nothing of the sort, so I left. I then tried my luck at Wits, where I faced a similar situation where nothing was said to me. I was training, but nobody seemed interested in me.

I then went to Jomo Cosmos, but in my first encounter with Jomo Sono, he asked me, “Do you want to play football?” “Yes, coach!” “Look at your height, how can you kick a ball if this is your size?”

We laughed about it afterwards, but I did not even have a single training session with Cosmos.

Sundowns want me, but it’s impossible to say no to Dr Khoza

After a failed period with Real Rovers, who were owned by Chicco Twala, I tried my luck at Mamelodi Sundowns. I trained with the development team for one week and, thereafter, I was invited by the late Ted Dumitru to train with the senior team. It was a dream to train with the likes of Roger Feutmba, Themba Mnguni and Raphael Chukwu.

Ted wanted the team to sign me. However, he resigned that same week to take up the reins at Orlando Pirates.

So, even though he left, I was set to sign for Sundowns on the Friday. But then Augusto Palacios came to Madibane High School on the Wednesday and he notified me that I should expect a visit from Dr Irvin Khoza who wanted to speak to my father.

I told my father about the visit which was coming and, later that afternoon, the Chairman, along with Palacios, arrived at our family home.

On speaking to my father, the Chairman was informed that I was training with Sundowns and that I would be signing for them. But Dr Khoza, with all his charm, somehow managed to convince my father that joining Orlando Pirates would be the best option for me.

There’s something in the way Dr Khoza talks that resonates with people. His reasoning and ability to paint a clear picture of the future is powerful. Saying no to him is almost impossible.

Becoming The Little Napoleon

Before I start, you need to understand how big Orlando Pirates really are. They were established in 1937. The rest is history. When you get an opportunity to play for that team, you take it. When they come for you, you need to ask yourself, “How many people want to play for this team?” So, to get on opportunity to wear that famous jersey meant a lot to me.

I used to watch the likes of Jerry Sikhosana on TV hammering Chiefs like nobody’s business. There were times when I was a ball boy and there was nothing better than running to hand one of yyour idols the ball. Now suddenly you are sharing a change room with the em, driving to the stadiums with th hem! I sometimes had to pinch myself to o make sure that this was not a dream, anda that it was actually happening.

This might so ound weird, but I enjoyed being ordered around by some of these guys. It was on ne of the greatest joys to fetch training equipment for my role models. It wa as something I did with a smile. Over the years, they became more than jus st teammates. I regard them as big bro others. To this day, I cannot address the em by their first names, I call them ‘groo otman’. They made things easier for me aat Pirates. They allowed me to become tthe Little Napoleon.

My relationsh hip with the Iron Duke

I consider my yself lucky to have spent time with the e Chairman. I consider him to be a goo od man. I regard him as a father-figure. I used to call him ‘Tyma ’ and I wouldn n’t do anything without talking to him m. He was like my father after my fathe er passed away. If I did something wro ong, he was always quick to see it, and h e would give me a call to say, “Boy, I do on’t like what you’re doing. I don’t l ike it.” He was like that, you know w, the way parents would d talk to their kids. EEven when I left P irates and went t to Denmark, I always communicate d with him.

I have n ’t spoken to the Chairman in years. I last sent him a message on his birthday, but we don’t speak.

The Danish Dream…

It took one training session for Aalborg to sign me. One training session, that was it. It was during the off-season and I was chilling with my friends in Soweto. My agent at the time, Mike Makaab, called me said, “You are going to Denmark for trials.”

I told him, “Mike, I’m not fit, I haven’t trained in weeks.” He told me that the team were interested in having a look at me anyway. I asked Mike if the Chairman knew about it and he assured me that he did. I called the Chairman to inform him and he gave me his blessing. So off to Denmark I went. After the training session, the coach called me and said, “Look, we can see that you are unfit, what we wanted to see was your touches. We’ve seen what we want. The fitness part we can work on.” I became an Aalborg player.

My world came crumbling down…

I was supposed to be living the European dream, but my world came crumbling down soon after I signed the contract in Denmark. I lost three of the most important people in my life in the space of four months. My father and my brother died a month apart. Two months later, my sister passed away. It was one of the most difficult times of my life.

What made my sister’s death even worse was the fact that she had left two children behind, with nobody to take care of them. I informed the team of my situation, and I told them that the best thing for me to do was return to South Africa to take care of my sister’s kids.

My plan was to return to Pirates

With my European dream shortlived, the first person that I called was the Chairman, as my initial plan was to return to Pirates. After explaining my dilemma to him, I spoke to Mpumi Khoza as well as Screamer Tshabalala about coming back to Pirates. They promised me that they would get back to me. Two weeks passed and I was left in the dark. I haven’t heard back from the Chairman and I don’t know what is happening to my sister’s kids. So now I’m the one who’s making calls and nobody is calling me back. During this time, Mamelodi Sundowns called me, it was a mystery how they got my Danish number. They caught wind of my situation through Harris Choeu, the Sundowns assistant coach. Thirty minutes was all it took for them to conclude negotiations with Aalborg.

It’s difficult to say if I would have stayed on in Denmark under different circumstances. I’m not one to question things. I believe that everything in life happens for a reason. If I stayed in Denmark for longer, perhaps I would not have met my wife and had my kids.

I appreciate what I ’ve got now, so it would not benefit mee to think on the past and what could hhave happened.

From Sundowwns to my Black Aces nigghtmare…

I didn’t play much at Sundowns in my time there and whhen I suffered an injury, we decided thhat it was best if I joined Mpumalang a Black Aces on loan.

I went there, but thhere was an incident before one of th he games. One of my friends was gettinng married and I was one of his groomssmen. I asked the coach permission to joinj a camp a bit later than the other playersp because of the wedding.

The coach gave mme permission to attend the wedding aand agreed that I could join the camp laater.

When I got to cammp, I went to my room and changed; I immediatelyi went to the physio for a m assage. I then returned to my room to sleep.

The next morning wasw normal, everybody had breakfast, but b the next thing I am summoned to appear before a management Disciplinnary Committee.

I was told that I caame to the camp drunk and came to the hotel with a woman. I couldn’t beliieve it! Where did they get this informattion?

I was informed thatt the coaches said they saw me, and I wasw reeking of alcohol. The club DC found me m guilty! I didn’t leave it likee that. I took the matter up with the PSSL DC where the Players Union was alsso involved. I then asked them to providde me with proof that I had in fact broought a woman to the camp. I asked them to check the hotel cameras, which would show my actions from the time I got to the hotel, to the timme I entered my room. I also asked them to speak to my roommattes, who I spent time with unntil breakfast the next morninng. The PSL DDC found me not guilty. Acees had to pay me before I lefft them. They paid me my siggning- on fee, but they still owwe me my salary. I thought I would return to Sundowns, but they decided not to renew my contract after they receivedd a medical report from Aces.

You’re sickk and have a chronicc disease

I joined BlackB Leopards and everything was okay until one weekend… I was called in and told I couldn’t play. They said, “You’re sick, and you’ve got a chronic disease.” I couldn’t understand what they were talking about. I then asked my own doctor, “They say I’ve got a chronic disease. What is that?”

“It is a disease, that you cannot live without medication.”

“What type of disease is this?” I asked.

Basically, I had to stop getting into situations that would inflict too much pressure or stress on my heart and I would have to take medication for the rest of my playing career.

It’s safe to say that the last time I took any medication was seven years ago.

I consulted three different doctors while at Leopards, the third being a heart specialist who confirmed my condition to the club.

It came to a climax when I was not selected for a match against Kaizer Chiefs and the media enquired about my absence from the Leopards team. Tendani Thidiela, who is the son of Leopards Chairman David, then revealed that I was not fit to play, much to my dismay. Why was the club PRO saying this and not the coach?

I then spoke to the media and cleared up the speculation with regards to my fitness. This actually landed me in hot water with the club.

I spoke to the chairman of the club soon after. He spoke to me like a father and I could understand his position. Sometimes you need to take decisions, decisions not based on the truth, but based on protecting your territory, you know. He promised to pay me out my contract and he did, which is something I respect him for.

That was the last time I ever spoke to Mike Makaab

After leaving Denmark, I stayed in touch with my Danish teammates. When I was at Sundowns, I would touch base now and then. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, some of my former teammates were staying in a hotel in Pretoria and we agreed to meet up.

After spending some time with the guys, they asked me, “Why did you really leave the team? We really enjoyed playing with you.”

I explained my situation to them and about my sister’s kids. They asked me if I heard about the offer that Aalborg put in for me to stay with the team and that before I left, there was a team meeting in which the team pleaded with the coach and management to try by all means to retain my services. The club and the players didn’t want to lose my services.

I was told the outcome of that meeting was that management informed my agent that they wanted me to stay and that they would help my sister’s kids relocate to Denmark, where they would pay for their schooling and accommodation. They would also increase my salary and set me up in a bigger house.

Naturally, I was in disbelief. I then phoned the Aalborg chairperson to

My letter to myself

You’ve assked me if I could write a letter today and send it to myself – the Tso T in 2008 - what would I write? It would be quite short and to the e point.

Dear Tsoo, Have youu secured yourself for the future? Do you kknow that you will retire from the game? Will you be okay with your life going forward? Get rid oof this mindset that football will never come to an end. There’s life after the game. Make sure you plan adequately for it. confirm if what they were saying was true and he confirmed everything that my former teammates were saying.

I informed the chairman that I was unaware of the offer made by the team and that I did not hear anything of the kind from Mike, and that if I had, I would have never returned to South Africa. So, I called Mike. “Mike, I just heard about the offer Aalborg put in to retain my services.” Silence… “Hello Mike, are you still there?” “Yes.” Silence… “Thank you very much. God bless you.” I ended the call. That was the last time I ever spoke to Mike Makaab.

The truth has a way of coming out…

The truth has a way of coming out. Years later, I spoke to Screamer Tshabalala about why Pirates never got back to me when I came back from Denmark.

“Boy, you know why we never came back to you?” “I have no idea.” “Your agent told us that you demanded a salary of R250 000 a month!” “You are lying, Bra Stan.” “That is why we couldn’t come back to you, there was no way that we would pay you that kind of money.”

I then informed him that I was unaware of the demands made by Mike, and I later learned that Pirates were under the impression that I did not in fact want to return to the club, hence the outrageous salary demands.

I was disappointed that the Pirates management made no effort to question me about the alleged salary demands in my personal capacity.

I mean, I grew up at Pirates – why would I demand such a ridiculous salary? Pirates are my home and the Chairman is like my father. Why did he not speak to me as his son?

I can’t question God for what He gave me

People ask me if I’m disappointed with how my career ended. Look, you know, I took life in a different way. You know that you can plan for the future, but it is only one person that knows what the future holds for you. I came to a point to say I leave everything up to God because he knew me before I was born. I can say tomorrow that I want a chopper or a house on the mountain and I want to go and stay in Hollywood, but only He knows what’s out there, so where I am I’m comfortable, I’m happy. I can’t question God for what He gave me.

Ask me about football, leave my son…

I just want Thato to play football and I don’t want people to put pressure on him or to say your father played for Pirates, comparing him with me. Yeah, t that’s why his name is Thato. He’s different, he is not me. He can only be Thato. I just want people to give him the space, to give him time. He is a y young boy. He doesn’t know anything about talking football because he never played football. So, I don’t want people to go and interview him and ask him all these questions. If you want to know about football, then I’ll talk to you about football. ❐ Ed’s Note: Turn to p3 for Mike Makaab’s response.