There’s no competition at Gallants

“And what made me very angry… well, not angry but hurt… is that…”

“To be honest, I should have played in the Nedbank Cup final.”

As they say, change is scary, but staying in the same place is scarier. King Ndlovu has played most of his football in Limpopo, and now the bulky goalkeeper has decided to take a giant leap of faith, step out of his comfort zone and join a team in unfamiliar surroundings. The 29-year-old feels he is underrated but maintains he will continue to work like a trojan in order to achieve his primary goal of representing Bafana Bafana. In this interview with Soccer Laduma’s Tokelo Mokhesi, Ndlovu reveals what really happened with the Orlando Pirates deal and opens up on his topsy-turvy stint with Marumo Gallants, including the heartbreak of missing the Nedbank Cup final at a time when he was in the running for the competition’s Player of the Tournament gong.

Tokelo Mokhesi: Thanks, King, for your time. Let’s firstly talk about your time at Marumo Gallants. How would you sum it up?

King Ndlovu: Errr, ja, hmmm… my time at Gallants was okay. Even though I didn’t get enough gametime like I wanted to, but it wasn’t bad. I had some few games that I played, but, also, I felt like the team wasn’t, like, honest to me, wabona (you see), in the sense where I would play three games and get three clean sheets, but the next game we lose, then I am out. It was like I was there as a back-up keeper to Washington Arubi, not really competing, you understand? I don’t mind being number two if there is competition, but if ba nyaka (they want) a number two, they should have signed somebody that doesn’t have a problem with not playing or wa quality-nyana e tlo tlase (a goalie with less experience), someone who is not ready to play, just there to play back-up and then life goes on. But nna, I was doing well, but I was still taken out. And what made me very angry… well, not angry but hurt… is that I played the whole Nedbank Cup tournament, but suddenly, the limelight of the final, I don’t get to play. Ja, so, when Maritzburg United called me, I didn’t hesitate, I left because there is no competition at Gallants. Even when you are doing well, they take you out, they play somebody (else), which is not nice, to be honest. I was the first choice at Black Leopards, so I am not a back-up goalkeeper. I compete for the number one spot. But as much as there were challenges, I grew from my time at Gallants, you know. I left the team in good spirit and am thankful for the opportunity that was given to me to play for that great club.

TM: It seems you didn’t take kindly to being dropped for the Nedbank Cup final…

KN: I was hurt, my brother. But Dan (Malesela) is a good coach and knew what he was doing. We played well throughout and I am proud of what we have achieved. We ensured the team qualified for the CAF Confederation Cup, which is a big milestone. It would have been nice to play, but we have to respect the coach’s decision, as he picked a team he believed was going to win the match for us on the day.

TM: Yeah, you had been playing well throughout the competition and was even nominated for Player of the Tournament.

KN: Ja. No valid reason. I saw the line-up and didn’t see my name… I was hurt, but I managed to be professional. I didn’t question his selection, I just continued to work. And funnily enough, I was warned before joining Gallants to say at the club I was not going to play, but I played 13 games and I got, like, seven clean sheets.

TM: So, how was your relationship with coach Dan?

KN: It was a professional one, as in like a player and a coach. I respected him a lot because he is a great coach. But I was truly hurt that I didn’t play in the Nedbank Cup because we come from the same area in Pretoria. I was nominated for the Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament, so I expected him to say, ‘Mfanaka (My boy), go out there and shine, show them where we come from, what we are made of.’ But it is water under the bridge and I don’t want to dwell much on

it.

TM: Who warned you about going to Gallants?

KN: I can’t tell you that. But I went there because I believe our situations are not the same. When that person told me that I might not play, I said we are not the same. It was more of a tip to say I might not play, which is understandable because Arubi is a good goalkeeper, which is okay, but when it is my time to play, when I have worked hard, I must play. I don’t have any problem with Arubi – in fact, we are good friends, ebile (and) I will never be angry with him as he is not the one making (selecting) the starting line-up. Even in the final, he saw that I was not okay, I was hurt, so I told him that, “My brother, no matter what, I will never give you attitude. You are not the coach. You are just a player like me, you were selected to play.” So, that’s how I operate. We had been working well throughout the season. I mean, I stayed six months without playing at Marumo, and when I finally got my chance, I played well, and I was taken out again and it was back to square one. It was like I was working backwards.

TM: So that’s the main reason you left the club, the lack of playing time?

KN: I left for one reason. I have been in Polokwane for six years and

I came here at Maritzburg to play. I just want to compete and grow as a goalkeeper because I know that I am very competitive. If there is a number one at Maritzburg, I will push him to his limits. I am all about positivity. And again, the opportunity presented itself. When it came to going to Orlando Pirates, I don’t know what happened with that. Then Maritzburg… I didn’t think twice because I always wanted to try ko zama kontle (hustle in a different province) because I have been in Limpopo for a long time. And again, Maritzburg like to play out from the back, that’s why I came here. John Maduka was not going to sign me if I wasn’t comfortable on the ball.

TM: How did the deal to move to the Team of the Choice happen?

KN: Last year, when Pirates said they no longer wanted to sign me, I called Maritzburg, and at the time, they told me that they were looking for a back-up goalkeeper and number three as they have a number one already, and I said, ‘No problem.’ I then went to Marumo and they said me and Arubi would compete. I wanted to play and, to be honest, I should have played in the Nedbank Cup final, everybody knows that. I am not saying that Arubi is bad or he played badly in the final – no, he was good, but I should have finished what I started as it was not easy playing in Venda.

TM: King, what really happened with Pirates? Our readers would obviously like to know what really went on.

KN: Eish, bro, that’s a long story you know.

TM: We’re here for it.

KN: No, akere (actually), it was towards the end of the season. I don’t think Pirates’ intention was to sign me to be their goalkeeper for a long time because they had a goalkeeping crisis at the time and they thought I could come in and play, but the transfer window had already closed. So, I played after the window. They didn’t know that I played after the widow and they realised that they couldn’t register me and play, so they couldn’t sign me.

TM: Hmmm, how come they would not know you’d played after the transfer window had closed, as Gallants compete with them in the same league? Anyway, so in the end, you didn’t sign for the Soweto giants…

KN: No, I didn’t sign anything. Ha ke tloha ko (after I left) Black Leopards, Cape Town City showed interest. They wanted to sign me and said I could come through, but at the same time, Pirates were also keen to sign me and I chose Pirates. But I had an option of Cape Town City as, like, their back-up keeper, but you know everybody wants to play for Pirates or Kaizer Chiefs, so, ja. But unfortunately, that didn’t happen, but I still believe I am capable of playing at a big club.

TM: How did the missed opportunity make you feel?

KN: To be honest with you, I feel like I am underrated in this country. Like, I don’t understand… I have played, man. But I am not complaining. I will continue to work hard, but I don’t know who said what to who. At Pirates, I was told the team decided not to sign you – sharp, I had to look for another option.

TM: But for the mere fact that there was an approach from Bucs, that should count as a positive for you.

KN: What I like about football is that when you are honest to the sport, football will always thank you. I am here to prove to myself that I can play and I am capable, and I believe with regular gametime at Maritzburg, I am going to play to my best ability. My main target is to play for the national team, and if I don’t, I feel like I would have failed because I have what it takes. I want to see myself in the Bafana team.

TM: And playing for one of the Big Three, obviously.

KN: Ja, it would be nice to play for Pirates or Mamelodi Sundowns and overseas – maybe play in the MLS in America. I am being realistic as it is going to be difficult for a European team to sign a 29-yearold African goalkeeper.

TM: Interesting. How are things going so far in Pietermaritzburg?

KN: I have been here for a few weeks and it has been easy for me to adapt as I know some of the players, like Lucky Baloyi. I don’t feel lost. It has been good so far, and here, professionalism is tops. They do the right things. It was not easy leaving Limpopo, and this is definitely out of my comfort zone. I believe I will do well and grow as I’m here to work.

TM: We wish you all the best as you open the season with a home encounter against Sekhukhune United on Sunday.

KN: Ta, bro yaka (my brother).