I got goosebumps MM: Are you the kind of player that asks for advice? You are surrounded by top goalkeepers in Itumeleng Khune, Daniel Akpeyi, Darren Keet and now Williams, the Bafana captain. BB:

“I will see the comments now and again, but they don’t bother me.”

Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma continues to wait for his moment at a club that is renowned for producing the safest pairs of hands in the country. But even as an understudy, the 26-yearold remains on the Bafana Bafana radar and was recently part of the squad that travelled to Europe for two friendly matches against Guinea and France, although he did not play in either. In this face-to-face interview with Soccer Laduma’s Mazola Molefe, the goal minder reveals that he has used his time on the sidelines as a sponge gathering information, asking questions from those that get the nod ahead of him so that he is ready to step up when needed. A softspoken character by nature, Bvuma lights up when he discusses being a goalkeeper as well as his role models – teammate Itumeleng Khune, retired ex-Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates shot-stopper Moeneeb Josephs (now goalkeeper coach at AmaZulu FC) and German wall Manuel Neuer.

Mazola Molefe: Bruce, we know it’s difficult to talk and be open when you’ve not been getting minutes on the pitch. But you’ve been playing at the top level now for a while, even in the Bafana Bafana set-up from the days of Stuart Baxter, who is coincidentally now your coach at Kaizer Chiefs, so that must count for something.

Bruce Bvuma:

You are right. For me, being called up to the national team is a dream come true because I know every player wants to represent their country. I have been in the Bafana set-up since 2017 - that feels great. Yes, I haven’t played that much with the national team, but being called up, travelling all over the world, means a lot to me. I am learning from everyone.

MM: What are you picking up from the experienced guys? Can you go into some specifics… because goalkeepers see the game differently to their in-field counterparts?

BB:

I can mention the one game we played, I think it was South Africa versus Libya when we qualified for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations with coach Baxter in charge, and Darren Keet was the one playing that game. What I mean by saying I learn a lot is that what I saw from that game, playing under pressure and only needing a point, Darren kept us in the game. He was vocal and commanding as well. Ronwen (Williams) is the same. When we played Ethiopia in the World Cup qualifiers and won away, I picked up how to handle pressure, how to play away from home and how to play the socalled big games. That’s what I mean by saying I have learnt a lot in the national team, even if I haven’t been able to play regularly. We are talking about an international level. I can make another example… We played against a very good France team, players like (Kylian) Mbappe, you can’t give them so much space around the box because everyone saw what happened. I just hope that all the experience that I am

gaining I can use it.

Yes, I am that type of person. I speak to Itu, Daniel, Darren and Ronwen all the time. Even now during this European camp, I will go up to them at half-time and ask how they’ve handled a certain situation or how they feel. Whatever they tell me helps me going forward because I know that one day I will be in their shoes and I will know what to do. Football is a game of mistakes and learning, so we do that each and every day. I make sure that I get as much information as I possibly can.

MM: Do you have any opinion on this ongoing debate that the country has a shortage of goalkeepers and it’s slowly turning into a crisis?

BB:

I don’t think there’s a shortage of goalkeepers, but that is also my own opinion. This is not true. We have a lot of keepers in SA, and I believe that we are not going to have any struggles. Just like now, we are not battling with anything.

MM: Are you surprised by those comments that we lack quality goalkeepers to feed into the national team? Coach Hugo Broos suggested that he also ended up picking you even though you haven’t had much game-time at Kaizer Chiefs this season. He said he did not have a big pool of goalkeepers and a lot of people agree with those sentiments. Most PSL clubs also have foreigners as their No.1 goalkeepers.

BB:

I don’t really focus much on what people say, (as) everyone has the right to their own opinion. What they say is how they feel. What I focus on is myself, working hard and that’s all I can do. Of

“Goalkeepers can win you league titles. We know how crucial our job is.”

course, I will see the comments now and again, but they don’t bother me. All I do is my job and making sure I am ready whenever I get a chance to play.

MM: Okay, let’s move slightly away from that topic then. You made it to the 2019 Afcon as an understudy. How was that experience for you at the age of just 24, especially considering that coach Baxter said he’d picked you because you are the future?

BB:

I was amazed by the fact that I was part of that Afcon squad. I thank God for that. That was easily one of the highlights in my career, even if I didn’t play a single game. What was important for me is the experience. And me still being part of the crop now means the coach was spot-on and I am headed in the right direction. Ronwen was there as well and had a fantastic tournament, so me being here means I can keep learning from him and taking it all in.

MM: When you assess your game, where do you think you need to improve? Amakhosi have produced some of the best goalkeepers the country has ever seen – Eshele Botende, Brian Baloyi, Khune and others.

BB:

That’s true. I work so much with my goalkeeper coach (Lee Baxter) and we check on areas that are lacking, but of course, those are things I can’t disclose publicly.

MM: We understand. Do you think goalkeepers have a better longevity? There’s guys like Gianluigi Buffon, who, at 44, is still playing and a regular for Parma in the Italian Serie A. What is that down to?

BB:

For me, yes, as goalkeepers you could say we have an upper hand and can retire later on, but at the end of the day, it’s about how you take care of your body. You need your body to take you to your 40s. Look at a guy like Zlatan Ibrahimović, turning 41 this year and still going as an in-field player. So, it’s about how you take care of yourself and what you do during your playing times, especially the early days. I wouldn’t say it’s just the keepers, but you have to look at what you eat and what you drink. What you put in your body is the most important thing.

MM: Who are some of the goalkeepers that you looked up to before you turned pro, or even now?

BB:

I’ve always liked Moeneeb Josephs, and of course Itu. And overseas, I admire Manuel Neuer. Those are the guys I have looked up to, and it’s obvious that with Moeneeb and Itu it is because they have also been Bafana Bafana goalkeepers. Neuer elevates the standard of goalkeeping. He is something else. He is like a wall that guy. That is our Lionel Messi as goalkeepers, to be honest.

MM: Do you then model your game according to what you’ve seen them do over the years watching them in action?

BB:

Of course. When you have a role model, you try by all means to get your game closer to how they play. I do try to follow a lot of what Neuer does, especially because in Germany it is all about playing from the back and things like that. But those things need proper training sessions and development. The guys picked up all these from the age of 10 or 12 years, so it’s not easy to just copy them. For example, you’ve seen Neuer play as a sweeper-keeper… you can’t just adapt to doing that yourself. There are many elements added on that because it’s not just him playing that role, but his entire team knows that he has the ability to do that. That’s a huge thing. But yes, I do try to model my game around my idols.

MM: How switched on do you have to be as a keeper? Sometimes you can go long spells without doing anything like we saw against France. Ronwen was so busy, 11 saves out of 16 shots on target, but on the other side, Mike Maignan hardly broke a sweat throughout the entire game. You’ve had games like that too, where you could literally bring a picnic basket to the pitch. But if you concede, you get hammered for losing concentration.

BB:

Those are the moments I was talking about when I said I have been on this learning journey, like that Libya game where Darren Keet was so vital for us. He kept us in the game, focused from the first whistle until the last. You get games like that. Look at Ronwen, after making 11 saves and losing by a 5-0 margin - if you are just looking at the stats, you think he’s had a poor game.

As a goalkeeper, it is not as easy as people think it is. It’s important to stay switched on. Even when you have your best games, you can still lose. That is also something that I’ve had to accept and have experienced. For me, Ronwen was our best player against France and losing like that is not nice, but that is what it means to be a goalkeeper – stay in the game!

MM: You decide the match as well…

BB:

Yes, goalkeepers can win you league titles. We know how crucial our job is. A striker can miss, like, nine chances and score one that wins the game and be a hero, but as a keeper, you have to stay in the game throughout. You don’t have the same odds. You can make 11 brilliant saves and concede more goals, people will still say, ‘It’s the goalkeeper’s fault.’ It’s not easy.

MM: In that sense, do you think goalkeepers need more protection? The France game is the perfect case study. Ronwen had a fantastic game, but if you look at just the score in isolation, you think that’s an outrageous statement.

BB:

I think it’s just part of the game. And that’s why we love it. When you decide to be a goalkeeper, you should know that these are the sort of challenges you are going to face. People will come at you for no reason, swear at you, hate you and things like that. You have to be prepared. For me, that is the kind of pressure I like because it keeps you on your toes. You are always at your best, or at least try to be even if you are not having a good game. We are all human after all. People can say whatever they want to say. But you have to be sharp. For me, that’s what being a goalkeeper means. The score line doesn’t always tell the full story. There were so many good moments Ronwen produced, for example. But you get used to that – whether the results are good or bad.

MM: Let’s try wrap it up. Can we look ahead with confidence going into the 2023 Afcon qualifiers starting in June?

BB:

This is what we needed as a country, competing at this level. Bafana Bafana need to be there with the likes of Guinea and France at the Afcon or World Cup. I believe we can definitely qualify for this next Afcon, I have high hopes. I see it in this group of players that we have here. The thing is, we have so many young talented players and I feel we gave everything during the World Cup qualifiers, winning games, but obviously didn’t go all the way. These last two games were about testing our character and experiencing the European nights – playing at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille. What an unbelievable feeling. I got goosebumps, I promise you. I also noticed that here in France, they appreciate their players and they back them whether they are doing well or not. We spoke as players and this was quite an experience and we are looking forward to the qualifiers in June. This squad is good enough. ❐