Itboils down to luck

Through the y ears, a number ‘late bloomers’ make their way onto the South African professional scene. These play ers,as opposed to announcing their arrival into the ranks in their teen y ears and early 2 0s,only manage to break through when they are on the wrong side of 2 5. The likes of Teko M odise and Reneilwe Letsholony ane are two such examples. Pogiso M ahlangu is the latest of these,having reached the topflight with Sekhukhune United at the age of 2 9. Having plied his trade in the country ’s second tier for a number of y ears,the man from M amelodi is finally in the big time. Soccer Laduma’s Delmain Faver caught up with the utility play er,who, in this interview,opens up on the challenges he has faced on his road to the top and why he feels the need to fasttrack himself,despite

play ing in a host of positions this campaign.

Delmain Faver: Pogiso, you are a few games away from completing your first season in the topflight. How has it been for you, man?

Pogiso Mahlangu: It’s been a very great experience. I must say I’ve learned a lot and it’s been challenging, but I’m glad I could adapt and settle in nicely.

DF: You say that it’s been challenging. Talk us through the challenges because you’ve been exposed to football in the GladAfrica Championship for quite a bit, but now you’ve obviously made the step to the elite league.

PM: In the GladAfrica (Championship), you are not offered so much space compared to the DStv (Premiership), where you need to think more and quicker in terms of managing your spaces and playing with so much time on the ball, but the difference is that (in the) NFD you don’t get as much time as in the DStv. That’s the only challenge I’ve come across.

DF: A lot of people say that in the second tier is a dog-eatdog world... PM: No lie. There it’s really, really very physical. When they speak about contact sport, when it comes to football, that’s where you’llactually experience contact and everything, compared to the topflight.

DF: You’re 29 now, having gotten your big break last season. Why did it take so long to finally get to the level you are in now?

PM: For me, I think it boils down to luck.You know, when luck is not on your side, it’s just on your side. I was just patiently waiting for my turn and now things are finally coming together. So, I think it’s all about luck. I also think a few challenges that I came across in the past, losing my mother and losing my aunt, it also took a dent on me in terms of fully focusing on my job. Now lately, I haven’t really come across so many challenges, hence the focus and the hard work, you know. Whenever you work hard, you always attract luck.

DF: True. One might say you are a late bloomer. Do you think that places an added pressure on you when you look at maybe your age? PM: Ja, obviously, when you make your breakthrough, maybe in your late 20s, it really put so much pressure on you because the older you get, the more responsibility you have. So, to get that break, it’s something that is always on your mind. You can never go a day without thinking about it. So, to answer your question, yes, it does put pressure on you because you feel like you don’t have as much time as someone who’s been fortunate enough to make it at the age of 18 or 19, you know.

DF: Looking at your season in terms of numbers, you’ve played 17 games in all competitions, scored a goal and set up an assist. What have you made of it? PM: On a personallevel, I don’t think it’s going according to the goals that I set for myself in the beginning of the season. The goal that I had was to score goals and get to double digits at least, but with me being a team player, playing where the coach asked me to play, I always give 110% and I wasn’t really playing my position as a striker. I was playing on the right wing in most cases. Now I’m playing as a right back. That is the reason why I’m not getting goals. But as much as I would love to get goals, I think minutes and also playing for the team is good for now because I’m getting as much game-time as I wanted and I’m really happy where I am right now.

DF: What has coach McDonald Makhubedu and the rest of the technical said to you regarding the positional switch?

PM: The coaches know that I’m a modern player. What that means is that you should be able to play two or three positions. So, for me, it’s just to do my best at right back where there is no pressure because they know that I have played there before. With my experience of doing the business, wherever I’m playing doesn’t really matter. Whichever position you put me in, I’lljust give my all.

DF: For you personally, would a change in position be the ideal situation next season? Because looking at it, there are guys who are natural right backs in the team...

PM: Yes, it would (be) because I’m really very comfortable in a few positions. Some positions I can play, but I wouldn’t say 100% comfortable, but I don’t really mind.

DF: You have had the opportunity to get up close and personal, so to speak, with guys who are so experienced in this league, such as the likes of Willard Katsande, Tapuwa Kapini and Justice Chabalala. What has that been like for you? PM: It has been very great and very helpful to myself and the rest of the team because these guys have been around, they know the ins and outs of the league. So, with them and us coming in, blending together, it really made everything easy for me to adapt and also (for) the other young players who are only coming in now. They really made us understand what this league is all about. They did their analysis, they did their homework, hence we went through a rough patch because teams also analyse us.

“We went through a rough patch because teams also analyse us.”

DF: What has the mood been like in camp, especially when the results haven’t been going your way?

PM: The mood is good. The boys are always smiling at training. I haven’t seen any quarrels between players. The mood is still okay because we’ve created a culture where we don’t lose games, we learn. Either we win or we learn, hence that didn’t even bend our mood or our emotions didn’t even get high when losing games because we know it’s part of the game. So, going forward, we know what to do next because we are playing very well. It’s just unfortunate that in a few games we couldn’t get results.

DF: Well, we have seen that so teams, after winning promotion to the to the topflight, have that really good season and just want to do well and make a name for themselves, and yet in the second season, they tend to fade and struggle just to maintain that consistency. What is it that you think you guys need to do to avoid getting into a similar situation where instead of challenging to finish in the Top Eight, you are fighting relegation?

PM: For us, I think going forward, we need to remain humble. You know, (you need to ensure) your feet is always on the ground, you’re always willing to work, you’re willing to improve and learn. I’m not saying the guys are not willing to work and they are not humble, but I think being humble can really take you far. We need to remain disciplined the way we are because we are very stubborn. So, if we keep going the way we are, I think we are heading into the right direction.

“Don’t give up and don’t ever, ever let anyone dim your light.”

DF: As someone who made it to the topflight quite late, finally getting what you’ve been working for all these years… If there’s another Pogiso Mahlangu somewhere, aged 25, 26 or 27 and hasn’t got his breakthrough yet, what would your message be to such a player?

PM: My message would be don’t give up and don’t ever, ever let anyone dim your light. Keep praying, keep the faith, no matter the situation you will always go through. This is my message to whoever that might go through the same path as me. To discuss this inter view with Delmain, tweet him on @Delmain_Soccer