Soccer Laduma

Coach Pitso wanted me

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“They kept on telling me that it would be sent to me via email.”

Afootball journey that started over a decade ago is finally leading Sicelokuhl­e H latshwayo to the Promas ised Land the defender has been enjoying the fruits of his hard labour since the season started. Unlike in the previous campaign where he struggled for game28-year-old time, the has been playing regularly and dishdispla­ys ing out solid for Marumo Gallants, the club’s current position in the DStv Premiershi­p standings notwithsta­nding. In this interview with Soccer Laduma’s Masebe Qina, the central defender revisits the hiccups encountere­d along the way, after missing out on opportunit­ies to write his name in South African football folklore early in his career. Furthermor­e, H latshwayo confirms interest from a PSL giant that tried to sign him, but were pipped at the post by Free State Stars, while he also weighs in on the sudden exit of coach Romain Folz from the Limpopo-based outfit.

Masebe Qina: You have had an imto pressive start the season. What do you attribute your performanc­es to?

Sicelokuhl­e Hlatshwayo: Thanks, grootman (big brother). Last season, I didn’t play a lot of games and it was my aim to improve this season. I encourthat aged myself I would push as much as I could so that I could play more games this season. The way things are at most clubs these days, when you are not playing regularly, you may end up being released even if you have a condo tract if things not improve for you on the field in your second season.

MQ: Why did you not play regularly last season?

SH: Eish, I can’t tell, but when I came to the team, we had our previous coach from overseas and I think he is now an assistant coach for Senegal (SebasCamer­oon tien Migne, assistant coach) and I was getting game-time under him. The coach left and coach (Mpho) Maleka took over and I didn’t get much of a chance. Coach Dan “Dance” (Malesela) came and I think I played only two games u nder him, and that’s excluding the CAF games.

MQ: How did you feel when you didn’t play regularly under those coaches?

SH: Ayingiphat­hangakahle (It didn’t sit well with me), but I made sure that I gave my all at training and in friendly games. I kept on pushing and knew that the rest would take care of itcontinue­d self. Things like that until the end of the season, and I wasn’t getting a chance until the season ended. As we went for pre-season, I made sure that I worked twice as hard and, luckily enough, the new coach (Romain Folz) came and I started playing under him, although he has now left.

MQ: It seems heading towards

SH: I’m hap py,eventhough­itisstill early as we have played a few games. In my first season in the PSL (topget flight), I did some game-time and I played regularly at Polokwane City before the lockdown, although we couldn’t save the status of the club as the team got relegated. After that, I had one of the big teams wanting me, but in the end, the move didn’t happen.

your career is finally the right direction.

So, when I got a chance to play in the PSL again, I wanted to push so that I could be noticed again and possibly by that same (big) team again. That has been my motivation in the way I perform.

MQ: We will talk about interest in your services. We understand yours has been quite some journey in football. Tell us about it. SH: Yho, it’s been a rollercoas­ter! I started playing in 2011 when I joined AmaZulu FC for their reserve team and I stayed with the club for four years. In 2015, I went to Mpumalanga Black Aces and, after signing with the club, I was loaned to Mthatha Bucks after they got promoted to the NFD (National First Division, officially known as Motsepe Foundation Championsh­ip). W hen that season finished, Aces were sold to (John Comitis for the formation of) Cape Town City. As I had been away on loan, I was excluded, and I think the Aces owners only focused on the players who were with the club at the time, in sorting out their contracts and things like that. W hen I went back to Aces, I found myself having to stay with their ABC Motsepe League team and that is where I was for the whole season from 2016. W hen AmaZulu bought the status of Thanda (Royal Zulu), the same coach that had scouted me to join the reserve team of AmaZulu, Ronnie Moroka, call ed me to come to the club again. I went there and everything was fine and I was offer ed a contract by the clu b. I went there with the likes of (Ndabayithe­thwa) Ndlondlo and (Somila) Ntsundwana, and one of the friendly games we played in preparawas tion for the season against Jomo Cosmos and we lost that game 1-0, but we were given contracts, nonetheles­s. However, there was a hold-up for me as I couldn’t get my clearance from Aces. It was such a struggle, and I was with the club from July until December without having acquired the clearance from Aces. I only trained with the team and couldn’t play any official matches because I had not been registered with the PSL. I could not even train with the first team. I was training with the reserve team, but the club was paying me.

MQ: That must have been a tough period. Why did you struggle to get your clearance from Aces?

SH: I can’t tell you because I don’t know. I remember calling Aces and asking them for my clearance and they kept on telling me that it would be sent to me via email. AmaZulu also tried on my behalf to get the clearance from Aces, but they too didn’t succeed until the transfer window closed. In December, a decision was taken that AmaZulu and I should go our separate ways because of my struggle in getting the clearance and that was at the same time when AmaZulu were sending Nkanyiso Zungu to Jomo Cosmos on loan. I told Nkanyiso of my situation and he promised that he would speak to Bra J (Jomo Sono) on my behalf. Fortunatel­y, Bra J remembered me from the friendly game I played against Cosmos when I was with AmaZulu and he told Nkanyiso to tell me to come, although he said he wouldn’t provide me with any accommodat­ion. The transfer window was left with five days before closing when I started training with Cosmos and Bra J said he still needed to see me more and said he would keep me training with the

When Bafana Bafana head coach, Hugo Broos, announced his squad to take on Sierra Leone and Botswana in backto-back internatio­nal friendlies, on SABC 1 last Thursday, it was very interestin­g to see his change of heart when he finally called up Mamelodi Sundowns influentia­l attacker, Themba Zwane, but it was equally surprising that he continued to overlook his teammate Andile Jali!

These are two of the players that clearly didn’t ignite any emotion on coach Broos, as he’s on the record about snubbing them, despite their obvious breath-taking performanc­es and contributi­on at club level. Did we mention their continenta­l football experience, which is much-needed for Bafana? These two instrument­al players’ ‘crimes’ was their age, it would seem, as the coach was looking to focus more on younger players to build the national team. This is something he made clear even before taking to the first training session. It is now history that a couple of ‘over-age’ players have made it into the Belgian mentor’s team, clearly overtaking Zwane and Jali in the process. Now, “only fools don’t change their minds,” was the phrase used, in part, by the coach when asked about his change of tune by finally considerin­g Zwane for selection. The coach also mentioned the absence of his other preferred attacking players as one of the reasons Zwane got the nod.

Now, Jali continues to be overlooked despite everything going on. It is undoubted that Jali is currently the best central midfielder in the country, hands down! The way he’s been protecting the Downs backline, screening the opposition and even initiating attacks has been remarkable to

watch. He’s also hardly visited the medical room and his constant absence from the national team continues to mesmerise everyone. If coach Broos is to achieve his goals, one of the players he needs to seriously set his eyes on is Andile Jali! Look, Jali not making the current squad is hardly surprising based on the coach’s past remarks and standpoint. When he changed his mind about Zwane, then that gave rise to expectatio­ns for change of mind. One thing we need to be clear on is that team selection or national team callups are the head coach and the technical team’s prerogativ­e. They also don’t have to explain why certain players are not called up, as it is within their rights to choose to only discuss players that are in the team. However, when the coach decides to engage in the discussion about one player, then the coach opens himself up to further scrutiny. His answer to the question about Jali’s continued absence was too interestin­g to go unnoticed. “If you talk about Andile Jali, I think no.” When pushed for explanatio­n, the coach decided to keep quiet and then said, “Yes, but again when I said what I said three quarters now ago, I don’t want to disrespect the nation again.” Make of this whatever you want.

One thing is for sure, the coach’s remarks are open to interpreta­tion. It could mean a whole lot of things and it is such a pity no further comment was made. It would be great to know what the coach really meant by, firstly, putting a ‘no’ next to Jali’s name and secondly by not wanting to disrespect the nation again. If you refuse to

exercise your mind, it will be easy to say the coach simply meant he’s not going to call Jali up and that he doesn’t want to offend anyone again, therefore it is best he keeps quiet. If anyone accepts that as an explanatio­n, then something is really wrong. It is unfair for the coach to indulge the public when it comes to Zwane and then refuse to do so when it comes to Jali. One is tempted to even suggest that whatever reasons the coach has for not selecting Jali are personal, not profession­al. It is crystal clear now that Jali’s exclusion has absolutely nothing to do with his performanc­es. Can we afford to have personal issues between a head coach and one of the best players in the country hold us to ransom, if indeed there’s beef between the two? At club level, that can easily be pushed under the carpet, but certainly not at this

level. There’s no place for egos or personal issues at this level. In fact, even at club level we can’t have the team’s success held back by individual­s. National team is about bringing the best the country has,

together and form a strong squad that will represent the country. This is bigger than any individual. Jali’s name belongs amongst the best in the country at the moment, especially when age doesn’t seem to matter that much anymore.

Coach Broos owes us an explanatio­n on Jali’s continuous exclusion from the team, specially when the Matatiele-born midfielder has declared his willingnes­s to heed the call, should the coach see fit. He’s also made it clear that he believes he can help the national team, so it is not like coach Broos needs to beg Jali to play for the country. Jali has come short of, in fact, begging for considerat­ion. The explanatio­n isn’t just for us but also for the coach’s clarity so that he’s not misunderst­ood. That’s why one feels an explanatio­n is necessary, so that we all know what he really meant.

Once again, had coach Broos not discussed Zwane and not even bothered to explain himself, even when asked about Jali, we’d all accept that he probably doesn’t see a role for AJ15 in his team, assuming that his age continues to be a factor as mysterious as that would sound, after some ‘over-age’ players were selected ahead of him. In fact, even Zwane is a year older than Jali, which begs more questions. As if that wasn’t enough, Mshishi, as Zwane is affectiona­tely known, will be the first to admit that he hasn’t had the best of starts to the new campaign. This could possibly be the worst time since coach Broos arrived that he’s finally giving Mshishi the nod after sidelining him when he truly deserved to be in the reckoning for a place in the Bafana team. Is he selected to shut everyone up, bowing to pressure, to appease everyone by ensuring not to ‘disrespect the nation again’ or simply to prove a point by setting Mshishi up for failure?

Remember, some of us had given up on these two players being called up as the coach made it clear that they were surplus to requiremen­ts. As much as we respect the coach’s prerogativ­e in team selection, when he makes incomplete and unclear messages, then he has to be held accountabl­e. He needs to take us into his confidence so that we are all on the same page. Once again, the answer to the Jali question leaves more questions than answers. It probably would have been even better to decline to discuss players who are not called up. Until then, coach Broos owes us

an explanatio­n on Jali!

Cheers, VeeJay

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