Nthethe: That’s how he runs his club

“If I decide that I am retiring, I won’t have any regrets.”

“It was my first time to experience such a thing.”

Thabo Nthethe made a return to professional football earlier this year, signing a short-term contract with the ambitious TS Galaxy. The 35-year-old former Mamelodi Sundowns defender was out of football throughout 2019 as he recovered from a groin injury, but has recovered and had been trying to make up for lost time, before lockdown halted things. In this interview with Soccer Laduma’s Tshepang Mailwane, the man known as ‘Mr Cool’ talks about how his move to the Rockets came about, reveals his conversation with Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker and admits that he did have thoughts of retiring, but…

Tshepang Mailwane: Mr Cool, the lockdown came not long after you signed for TS Galaxy, having been out of action for a long time.

Thabo Nthethe: Yeah, I was actually telling a friend of mine that I had been out of action for a year and then, after signing for a team (in February), we had lockdown not long after that. I was getting there with my momentum and I was enjoying being on the field of play again and being around my (new) teammates. I played three games and then we went into the lockdown. It was difficult, especially when we were in Level 5. I was struggling at the beginning, but my friends and family have been there supporting me through that. Now I am preparing my mind because the Minister (of Sports, Arts & Culture, Nathi Mthethwa) said we can go back to training. SAFPU (South African Football Players Union) have also been communicating with us and they have been telling us how they are pushing for us to get back. But I am okay, ke sharp.

TM: Were you happy with how you were performing in those few matches?

TN: I wouldn’t say I was bad, looking at where I was coming from, not having played for a while. I had to get my fitness back and I had to get to know my new teammates and get to know the system in the team and stuff like that. But the guys made things easier for me to get used to it. In the games we played, I feel they were not bad in the way I played, when I analyse myself. As a team, I also don’t think we played bad. I think we are getting there as a team.

TM: Why did you choose TS Galaxy?

TN: I actually spoke to coach Dan (Malesela) at the time, before they went to play against Chippa United in the Nedbank Cup. I called him a few days before that game, asking him if I could please train with the team because it had been a while not playing football. He knew me and I didn’t struggle, to be honest. He immediately spoke to the chairman ( Tim Sukazi) and he got back to me, saying that the chairman was okay with me coming to train with the team the following week. He had said he felt like he needed the experience of someone like me, especially at the back. On my way to training, I called coach Dan because I wanted him to give me directions to the training ground. He gave me the directions, but when I got there, he was not there. I asked where he was and they said the coach was not there. The assistant coach at the time was Muisi Ajao.

TM: Right.

TN: I kept on going to training with the team and then I got to know via the media that coach Dan had left the club. I called coach Dan after I signed with the team to say, “Thank you for the opportunity that you were about to give me.” I told him I had signed, I thanked him for everything and I wished him all the best for the future because I believe he is a good coach. That’s how I got to the team. Coach Mabhudi (Khenyeza) came in and he put me into the system, into the team. And, as a senior player, he made me aware that I needed to advise the young players, because the team has a lot of young boys who need

guidance.

TM: Had you tried phoning other coaches in your search for a club?

TN: Yes, only Stellenbosch FC. I spoke to the coach (Steve Barker). We spoke, but it’s just that he never got back to me. You know, as much as you want the job, there’s thousands of players who want to play in that position. So, I thought if he was not getting back to me, then maybe it was not my time to go to Stellenbosch. I kept the positive vibe going and that’s when I called coach Dan. I could see that I still had a chance to play.

TM: You did not play for the whole of 2019 due to the groin problem you had. What was that like?

TN: Remember I was injured. It was a groin injury that I had. I had to sort it out, to fully recover, so that if I communicate with teams, I would be confident that I was okay in terms of me getting back to the field of play. It took me a long time to be fine. It was difficult at the beginning, but I had to stay positive. The thing that pushed me is that I was not giving up. I would analyse some teams and I felt that I still had a chance to play. I felt that I could also play in the First Division (Glad Africa Championship). As much as I had played in the PSL (Absa Premiership) for a long time, I felt I could play in the First Division. I knew that there is a lot of running and covering in the First Division. It’s not quite the same as the PSL (Absa Premiership), but as long as I was fit, I believed I could do it. It does not matter the age, I can do anything. That’s when I called coach Dan.

TM: Did you, at any point, have thoughts of maybe retiring?

TN: Yeah. Somewhere, somehow, it came to my mind, that maybe that’s why it (the injury) took so long. I think my groin took six or seven months for me to be fully recovered. I was supposed to go through an operation, which I did not go through. I got advice from an expert that the groin, even if you don’t operate it, can heal, especially if you don’t do anything. So, I had to take time off and not do anything, especially with the groin muscles. Don’t stretch, don’t run. So, I took a long time not doing anything. Then, after some time, I started strengthening it and I started feeling that it was getting better. I got the confidence in myself, to run not only on the treadmill, but on the field as well. I felt the confidence and that’s when I started communicating with

Stellenbosch and coach Dan. I could not understand why coach Steve Barker did not get back to me, but I thought somewhere, somehow, it was because of age. Maybe my age… it’s because I am old and maybe he was thinking they were not going to last with me. But I stayed positive because I felt that I could still play for another two, three years.

TM: Would you say coaches and clubs see players who are over 30 differently?

TN: I think so and it’s not only me. I’ve seen it before. When you reach 30, you leave your team and then you struggle to get another team, even if you were doing well at the time. A good example is Vuyo Mere. He was doing well at (Bidvest) Wits. When he left there, it was not easy for him to get a team. I think he did well for Wits (last season). There was a time when Tyson (Thulani Hlatshwayo) was not around and Vuyo was doing well for them at right back. I was analyzing his games, but at the end of the season, he was not re-signed. So here in Mzansi, they check your age.

TM: What are your thoughts on coach Khenyeza?

TN: I would say he is heading in the right direction. We’ve been talking a lot, especially about football and he is giving me his opinion. He analyses the game. He does his job and then comes and tells us about the game and shows us. I think he will succeed in future, when I look at how he approaches things. I saw how Pitso (Mosimane), who is a more experienced coach, was doing things. Already, in the Glad Africa Championship, he is doing that. I feel like he has a great future.

TM: You signed a contract until the end of the season. Is there an option to extend?

TN: Yes, there is an option. The contract will end in June, so now we are going to extend that because of lockdown.

TM: You’ve been around for 16 years in the PSL. How would you describe your career?

TN: If I decide that I am retiring, I won’t have any regrets. I think I have played my part and I think I have done well and I got enough chance for me to showcase my talent. I won’t complain about anything. I am okay with how my career went, from (Bloemfontein) Celtic to (Mamelodi) Sundowns and then to Chippa (United). I know I played my part and everything was the way it was supposed to.

TM: How special were the moments where you won trophies, especially the CAF Champions League?

TN: That’s the trophy that is number one in my career actually. Everything comes under the Champions League for me. That’s when the level of my career went up and that’s why I joined Sundowns in the first place. I had been at Celtic for 10 years, so I felt that I needed a change in my career. Playing for Sundowns after Celtic, it was the right time. God directed me to a team that gave me more than what I actually wanted to achieve. I was thinking of having the (domestic) league medal, but went on to win the Champions League. We did well. That’s where we dominated. Champions League was my good experience with Sundowns. We were competing for cups and we had a good team for those years I was part of the team. We could compete for anything that was available in South Africa and we could conquer on the continent, with the mentality coach Pitso was putting in us. We as players were strong enough and we knew how to approach a game.

TM: How was your relationship with coach Pitso?

TN: The relationship with the coach was a good one, until we got to where I did not play a part. But somewhere, somehow, I understand that we don’t always see things the same way. The coach can see that this person can do well in this game, so at some point, I was not okay with not playing, but I was supporting the team. I could feel how someone who could sit outside and not play would feel. So, when it’s me, why don’t I understand? I was supporting the team and the technical team was also supporting me because they knew that know how difficult it was as an experienced player to play and then end up not playing. It was giving me strength and more focus on helping the team, whether I was there or not. I played my part. Our relationship was good and he was even calling when I was home, just to check how I saw the team going forward and stuff. So, I was feeling part of the team at the time.

TM: How difficult was it to eventu

ally leave the team?

TN: I think it was not difficult, because at the time I left the team, I had not been playing a few of the games. I felt I deserved to play, so I said let me rather move. I felt it was the time to move and revive my career, you understand. It was not difficult for me to go to Chippa, honestly.

TM: Do you feel the move to Chippa was a good one?

TN: No, I don’t, but let’s not go into it.

TM: Hmmm… seems like you have regrets about that move.

TN: Only if I knew what was happening in the team. I never asked any player (about) what was happening at the team, but I could see the change of coaches now and then. But when you are part of the team, you will make sure that you do your job and that the coach is safe, especially when you are inside the field of play, you understand? It was my first time to experience such a thing, but that’s how the chairman (Siviwe Mpengesi) runs his team.

TM: How would you want to be remembered the day you retire?

TN: I want to be remembered as this defender who was calm on the ball, which we don’t get a lot these days with defenders. Teams analyse these days to see which defender they can press, because teams start pressing from the top. They know which defenders to press because after analyzing, they know who is not comfortable on the ball. So, I want to be remembered as that defender who was comfortable on the ball and could make the team play from the back.

TM: Well, they don’t call you ‘Mr Cool’ for nothing! Lastly, what do you make of what’s happening at your former club Celtic, with reports suggesting that it could be sold?

TN: To be honest, it’s not a good thing. I don’t mind who owns the team, but I would not be okay with the team leaving Bloemfontein. I am where I am today because of Celtic. Celtic is helping the young boys who are in Bloem, and also the girls who are playing for the club. That’s where we all start as players, so it would be sad for anyone to take the club away from Bloem. I just wish it could remain in Bloemfontein. I used to attend Celtic games when I was young with my father. I was supporting (Orlando) Pirates and he was supporting Celtic. The love of football started then and I am sure there can be more young boys and girls who can experience that in Free State, where big teams come and play against Celtic. I feel there is a lot of talent in Bloemfontein that can play for the club and I hope the team can stay where it is.

TM: You’re echoing many people’s sentiments. Thanks for your time, Thabo. Good luck going forward.

TN: Thanks. ❐