This is business
Given Mashikinya is quietly going about his job at Royal AM. Having made the move to KwaZulu-Natal with the other former Bloemfontein Celtic players who were instructed to relocate prior to the start of the season, the midfielder has remained with the side and kept his position in the team even after some of the ex-Siwelele players were released. In this interview with Soccer Laduma’s Masebe Qina, the 30-year-old star talks about the team’s impressive campaign thus far, how he and the other senior players from Phunya Sele Sele helped the younger ones to cope with relocation. Furthermore, he gives an honest take on the progress he has made in his career so far despite being one of the underrated players in the league.
Masebe Qina: When you joined Royal AM from Bloemfontein Celtic at the beginning of the season, did it cross your mind that the team would be in second place on the log by now?
Given Mashikinya: No, not at all – no one ever thought of that, even all the players and management. Anytime when a team is relocating, the first thing you want is to secure your status in the PSL, and you are not looking for any titles and for anything flashy. Whenever you relocate to start a new team, I don’t think there’s ever anyone who is looking for titles or to win a cup. The main thing is to secure the status and to be in the Top Eight. To finish in the Top Eight would be a big achievement. I don’t really think that there were individuals who believed that we would be in second place on the log at this point in time, including myself, but it’s a good thing that things happened this way and that we are where we are right now. However, it never really crossed my mind that things would turn out the way they have.
MQ: What has worked best for the team in your first topflight season?
GM: First of all, we had a bit of a challenge due to adaptation. We were in a new atmosphere with new people, and a lot of players who were coming from Bloemfontein Celtic were youngsters who only played in the Free State and had never travelled out of the province. So, the biggest challenge was to adapt, although there were some senior players who had been around and knew what to expect because they had played out of the Free State in the past. The reception that we got at the club after we relocated also helped us as everyone was so welcoming. You must remember that we lost the first two games of the season against Swallows FC and Cape Town City, and that goes to show that things were not as easy as they seemed to be in the beginning. It was difficult and you could literally see that the guys bebengekho (were not) right, but it was understandable because we had youngsters in the team and you don’t expect the youngsters to adapt as quickly as your (Ndumiso) Mabena and your Victor Letsoalo, for example. But the senior players in the team played a big role in talking to the younger players to make them feel at home. Also, what made things easier for us was the chairman (Andile Mpisane) and the president (Shauwn Mkhize) talking to us on our arrival at the club. They made the reception to be okay for all of us and the players who played here before were still around. I think how the management managed the whole process of us joining the team was good as there was no one who felt like an outsider.
MQ: What is it that MaMkhize and Mpisane said to you that made you to feel at home?
GM: I think the only important part was assuring everyone that no one was going to lose his job. They assured the players that we would all keep our jobs and that we would be part of Royal AM. I think that gave the confidence even to the youngsters and everyone looked forward to performing for the team after hearing those words.
MQ: But as the season progressed, we saw a number of players, most notably from the original Celtic squad, being released.
GM: I think that’s the nature of the football fraternity and you see that even at international level, where players come and go. I think that’s just the nature of the game and I don’t think that anything went wrong. Sometimes you just need to freshen up the squad and sometimes you talk to individuals who you might not really know how they feel. With that said, I still believe that with the players that left and those that are still here, it was a matter of discussions between them and the president of the club. But to be honest, I just felt that it was normal and something that happens in football and there was never a case of any fights or a case of arguments or people saying that they were not happy and things like that. It’s the nature of football that people will leave at the halfway mark of the season, while others will leave at the end of the season, and I don’t think there was a lot into the club making changes. If you look at the players that left the club, it’s not like they were all players who were not playing. There were players who were playing who also left. It (their departure) was something which was discussed between them and the office. About the change, I don’t think there were a lot of changes, but it is just the nature of football.
MQ: As one of the few former Celtic players who were not affected by the club’s January changes, how do you feel?
GM: Obviously, that has made me excited. You must understand that I once relocated from (Mpumalanga) Black Aces to Cape Town City, so relocating was not a new thing for me. I understood what was at stake and I understood what was expected of me. But to be honest, when it happened, no one saw it coming, although there had been a lot of rumours. We were just called in the morning and we were told that we should be in KZN at, like, 18h00 and when I looked at the time when the announcement was made, it was 09h30. For other players, maybe that was shocking, but for me, it wasn’t something new as I had been in that situation before and I just allowed the process to take care of itself. Yes, the coastal side of the country is the most difficult side, especially when you grew up in Gauteng, but I’m enjoying myself so far and helping the team whenever I can. I’m just hoping that I can remain injury-free so that I can continue with what I’ve been doing to help the team.
MQ: Talking about your days with Aces and your relocation to City in 2016 and up to now, how do you look back on progress made?
GM: I feel happy with the progress I’ve made in my career. Why do I say so? As players, we differ and we are not the same people. Some players will count that they never won the league and that they never played for a big team, and some people will ask why I’m saying that I’m happy with my career. I will still say I’m happy because I built my mother a house and I built myself a house; I have about five businesses and I drive my dream car and my life is sorted. I’m happy with my career and I know some people play for passion and love, but to be honest, this is business. My career has changed my personal life so much and you can count my numbers, I have played more than 100 games and I’m still going strong. When I look at my career and how people view me, I feel like I’m one of the underrated players, which makes me very happy because if I can reach that pinnacle of playing more games without being noticed, that is an achievement on its own. I’m happy with my career and I don’t think there’s anything that went wrong. Obviously, I’d like to play for the national team and the Big Three, but that doesn’t mean that I should look down on myself if I still haven’t. I just have to appreciate the opportunities that I’ve got so far. I’m satisfied with my career and still have got more years to go, and I just hope that I don’t get injuries.
“For other players, maybe that was shocking, but for me, it wasn’t something new.”
“If you don’t understand what your role is…, then it becomes difficult.”
MQ: What is it that you do right at training for the coach to consistently select you?
GM: There are two things here and the first one is to always make sure that I know my role in the team. I understand what is needed from me for the position that I play in and that’s the most important thing. I understand what the coaches want from me. Obviously, the coaches come with a philosophy and the way they want the team to play and that is what I also make sure that I understand. So, it’s about understanding how the coaches want you to play and understanding your role in the team, and that is what is working for me. If you want to play week in and week out but you don’t understand what your role is in the team, then it becomes difficult. I know what to offer and I’m happy they understand what I can offer – even the chairman and the president do understand. If you look at the games I’ve played as well as the results from those games … and I’m not saying it’s about me … it shows I understand my role in the team and that’s why I’ve been consistent.
MQ: For those who’ve not been following your game, explain your role.
GM: For those who’ve not been following Royal AM and Given Mashikinya, I think my role has changed so much from when I played for Celtic. If you were following my game at Celtic, I was an eight, so I’d always consolidate on the build-up and go and support the attack. My role at Royal AM is a little bit different because I help the team to build up and that’s my strength. I also know how to play because I’m a technical player and I don’t want to lose the ball. I always want to be on the ball more than any other player on the pitch and I just want to see my team play. After building up, I make sure that I stabilise the team in terms of intercepting balls and defending. But my strength is not on defending and I’m not a ball winner, but throughout the years, with the experience that I have, I’m managing it very well and I intercept and win more balls. Now, I’m playing as a six and I’m more involved in the build-ups and I’m more involved in winning the balls.