I don’t have the exact explanation

“I was obviously devastated about the whole situation.”

“The coach was very honest and that’s what I like about him.”

Seven years ago, the world was Zama Rambuwane’s oyster. At 17, he had stormed his way to the SuperSport United Academy and forced his way into the first team, which led to suggestions he was the best thing since sliced bread. Soon enough, the Alexandra-born lad was off to Tottenham Hotspur and later Belgium, before finding his feet in the Matsatsantsa first team. Now, having experienced all those highs, the 24-yearold is at a low… well, somewhat. Rambuwane finds himself clubless and, by his own admission, not where he had thought his career would be at this point. In this interview with Soccer Laduma’s Delmain Faver, the attacker opens up on his sad exit from the Tshwane side, trials that did not yield positive results, his battles with injuries, and more…

Delmain Faver: Zama, in cutting to the chase, perhaps the question to open our conversation with is: Where is Zama Rambuwane?

Zama Rambuwane: Hmmm, what I can say is that I am still in the game. I have so much more to offer than I did before. Obviously, I’m trying my level best to get back to the field. I had a very terrible injury and, after that, I managed to pull myself together and recover. My recover went very well because I was supposed to stay (out) even longer, but because I had a positive attitude, a strong mind and my family and friends and my girlfriend helped me out a lot and I’ve been training… There’s a coach of mine who coached me when I was, like, 12 years old, coach Phineas from Balfour, and I’m still in contact with him. When I contacted him and told him that I needed to train, he then invited me over and we have been doing a lot of drills and one-on-one training where it’s very intense because it’s just me and all the focus is on me. So, it’s a very demanding training regime and I do that every day. On Fridays, there are other players that he will invite and we are a group of seven players who train. In addition to training with him, on Mondays and Thursdays I play five-a-side soccer with Football Flava in the evening and then on the weekend, I’m playing tournaments and that’s where my fitness is coming from. That’s also so I don’t lose my touches and everything so that when a team comes, I am ready.

DF: Can you tell us a bit more about your injury, as you’ve been away from the professional scene for a while. How did it occur?

ZR: What happened was it was immediately after SuperSport (United) told me I was no longer in their plans and I had been there for so long. It really broke me. I parted ways with SuperSport and then a month or two after that, I was playing and I twisted my ankle and then I got a small crack on my ankle, which meant that I tore some ligaments. I had to go to hospital, where I was told I needed to do an operation. That was in 2019, and I was out for six months with a cast on and I did the operation. I was obviously devastated about the whole situation with SuperSport also because Ajax Cape Town (now Cape Town Spurs) wanted me. I was also wanted by Stellenbosch FC, so with that injury, everything stopped and it was very, very difficult. But I stayed, thanks to God’s grace, for about two months with the cast on and then I removed it and started my rehab. Then, after four or five months, I was fine.

DF: It seems then that the injury you were feeling at the time was not just physical. What was the message from the club when they informed you that you were being let go?

ZR: To be honest with you, nobody said anything because I came back from loan with Cape Umoya. I remember I landed in the afternoon and the next day I had to report to training. When I got there, coach Kaitano (Tembo) asked me what happened at Cape Umoya and then I told him. He then said he didn’t know that I was coming back and that I needed to go to the office and talk to Stan (Matthews, CEO) or Dominic (Busschau, Head of Operations) about my contract situation and then Dominic scheduled a meeting. I got there and they told me that I was not in coach

Kaitano’s plans and that they were going to help me look for a team to loan me to, but because I fell within the age group, they said I could still play with the MDC (MultiChoice, now DStv Diski Challenge) team. I remember there were six games left and I played all six games. I played in the Diski Shield as well and, after that, everyone just went quiet. It was only after that that I was told they were going to release

me and terminate my contract and hand me my clearance. So, that’s what happened.

DF: Thereafter, you underwent assessments at both Baroka FC and Sekhukhune United, although nothing came from it...

ZR: Since my injury, my first assessment was at Baroka and I was obviously nervous about it, but I knew my abilities and what I’m capable of and what I bring to the table, so I went there with confidence and I feel like I did my very best. I was there for, like, two weeks and the coaches were very impressed with me and everything, but the coach was very honest and that’s what I like about him. He called me after training and told me that I’m a very good player and that I would have a great impact at the club. However, at the time, I needed more conditioning and training and I didn’t have the legs and the standard was very high because I went there towards the end of the season and they were battling to stay in the league. The coach told me that by signing me, he would be risking his job but he believes in me and I should come back in January when I could do a full pre-season and that I can definitely bring something to the team. With Sekhukhune, I don’t know what happened with that because I was supposed to train with them, but I didn’t train. I went there and then coach Macdonald (Makhubedu) told me there were things that he needed to discuss with the chairman and whatnot and that they were going to call me when everything was settled, but they haven’t said anything to me.

DF: You spent some time in Israel, on loan, and did exceptionally well. Why then did you return to South Africa?

ZR: For me, coming back wasn’t very ideal because I was really enjoying my football that side. I felt at home because there were so many African players that side and I feel like, for me, it was the biggest breakthrough in my career because I needed that and my move going overseas really opened doors for me. I was able to take care of my family in the best way possible and I didn’t want to come back, but I didn’t have a choice because I was also on loan to buy and that club wanted to keep me, but SuperSport told the club no, they needed me this side. They didn’t have left winger at the time.

DF: A few years ago, you were known as a wonder kid in South Africa. Has your career lived up to your expectations?

ZR: I feel like no.

DF: Why?

ZR: I think a lot of things happened very quickly. I knew that I was a good player and that I was very talented when it came to playing the game, but I never thought I would make a name for myself so quickly. I got to SuperSport when I was 15 and then I played for two years and I was 17.

I went to Tottenham (Hotspur), I came back and I had a first-team contract, where I played. After that, I went to Belgium. After that, I was playing for the first team at SuperSport and then Israel, you understand? So, everything happened very quickly for me and I’d say I was very fortunate because I was playing for the national team, getting called up as the youngest player in the team also and I was playing with Daine Klate, Thabo September and there was the legend Jabu Mahlangu there and Sibusiso Zumba was there. So, I was very young, but I was very fortunate and I told myself that this is where action starts and I was determined to push myself even more. But I don’t have the exact explanation for what happened in

my career, but I tried my best to compete. Every time I was given a chance, I gave my best. Some things happen and we don’t have an explanation for it, but if you really want something, you have to fight for it and that’s what I’m doing now, fighting for my career and fighting to come back and make a name for myself again. The advantage of it is that with everything that I’ve achieved, I’m still only 24.

DF: Do you think you were adequately prepared for the life that came with being a professional at 17?

ZR: No. To be honest, no. I think what helped me is that I came from humble beginnings. I think that helped me to know that even with what I had with the fame and everything, I needed to remember where I come from. I think what helped me is choosing the friends that I had and still have even now. I think I had so many people advising me. I was also fortunate with the late Lucky Maselesele and he worked with an agent by the name of Ashley and he was my agent at the time and Lucky comes from Alexandra like me. He was in the game and he knew everything that was happening there and he would tell me, “Look, you’re still young. Fame is gonna come, money is gonna come, girls and all these other things, but you need to focus on what you want and if you do that, everything else won’t matter,” and I think that’s what made me the humble person that I am right now, knowing what I want and not letting fame get to me. So, I wasn’t prepared, but I managed it so well.

DF: A lot of your peers who were behind you in your academy days have since caught up to you, with some now regulars in the senior national team. Is this a frustrating feeling for you?

ZR: To be honest, it frustrates me every day. It’s not about the names and who they are or anything, but it’s just that most of the people that were behind me are doing well for themselves. I wouldn’t say it frustrates me in a bad way, but it gives me that drive to say back then, they were probably looking up to me and they worked hard to get what they wanted and now it’s my chance to look at how far they have come … and even if it’s before me … in order to get where they are right now and, for me, it’s more motivation that everything will work out in the end. I just need to work hard and look up to them and not have any bad energy towards them because it’s people that I played with at the team, the national team, we shared a house, a bus and everything. So, they motivate to get out from where I am to where I want to be and hopefully, we can play together again.