What Onyango told me…

Delmain Faver: Salim, we know you guys are on a break, so we really appreciate you taking time out to speak to the Soccer Laduma readers.

Salim Magoola: Thanks, no worries.

DF: Firstly, what do you make of your start to the season?

SM: Yeah, first of all, thank you to the Almighty for giving me an opportunity and a chance to play in the PSL because it was really hard for me to penetrate, but all in all, I made it and I had to focus this season to give myself exposure. I wanted to rebuild myself from the previous clubs I was with in Sudan and the year I spent at (Pretoria) Callies. So, I just made sure that I concentrate and rebuild myself, plus help the club with their targets now and with my target to try to do the best.

DF: How did the move from Callies to Richards Bay FC come about?

SM: Actually, I think we played them. Also, my agent tried to look for a better entry for me into the PSL, so that was it.

DF: In 13 games so far, you’ve kept nine clean sheets, conceding only six goals. Incredible!

SM: For the club, we didn’t think we could do better, like keeping clean sheets consecutively, because of our entry. We entered as underdogs, but I think believing in ourselves and also trying to get the points early so that we avoid the relegation zone to be on the safe side has helped us so much. We focused a lot on doing our best in the first round.

DF: Would you put down your clean sheets to individual goalkeeping performance or the entire defence?

SM:

It’s from training, where we put more effort. At training, we make sure that we compete, no scoring (against) us. So, that is what we do at training and we transfer it to the field, which has helped us a lot because it’s teamwork – you can’t defend alone. So, I think when the team is compact, the team is together, everything is possible. That’s why we have managed to contain games and win them at the last minute because we are together in there.

DF: How much motivation does keeping these clean sheets give you?

SM: I think having the target of wanting to expose myself for more opportunities in the PSL helped me a lot so that I show my ability, show what I’ve been doing in Sudan here in the PSL. I’m in a position to get more exposure here, so I take it game by game. The more clean sheets, the more pressure you have, but that’s how it is.

DF: As a Ugandan international, you’re following in the footsteps of the legendary Denis Onyango. Have you received any advice from him?

SM: Yeah, sure, when I landed here, Denis encouraged me a lot. I came here and I went to a lower (division) club and he was like, “No, do your best, people will come. They will see you and you will come up.” So, it encouraged me a lot, and when he saw me keeping clean sheets, he phoned me up and said, “Yeah, that is it, boy. Keep on doing your best.” So, that also pushes me to do more, to do my best so that I fall in the category of Denis as he’s a legend back home and here. If Denis did it, I can also do it.

DF: He was crowned Africa’s best goalkeeper for 2016, sharing a stage with some really big players like Mo Salah. How much pressure does it then put on you knowing that you are next in line to someone who holds such legendary status?

SM: You know everyone has a dream to be the best based in Africa, be the best where

he is, but most time

To think that Salim Magoola was not even amongst the 10 players unveiled by Richards Bay FC at the start of the season. Rather, his signing alongside that of fellow goalkeeper Neil Boshoff a few weeks later was a relatively lowkey affair, arriving from Pretoria Callies. However, 13 games into the DStv Premiership season and the Ugandan is proving to be arguably the club’s acquisition of the season. So far, he has kept nine clean sheets, the most of any goalkeeper in the league at this point. With most teams having gone on a FIFA World Cup-enforced break, trying to reach with the net minder proved an arduous task as he put on an admirable defensive display, but Soccer Laduma’s Delmain Faver caught him in no-man’s land so to speak, and what resulted is a conversation about the 27-year-old’s excellent start to the campaign, the advice he has received from his legendary countryman, whether he is eyeing the Goalkeeper of the Season accolade… and more. you have to focus on yourself. But the things Denis has done just give us more effort (knowing) that anything is possible. That’s the way we try to follow, but you can’t say that I wanna be like Denis or I wanna do more than him, you just do your thing. Okay, Denis did this, you are proud of it and it encourages you to do more, so what God brings is what you go with.

DF: Who’s the one striker that has given you the most problems in Mzansi?

SM: Actually, I won’t say I know everyone in the PSL because I’m new, but I would say the game where I was really busy was (the one against) Cape Town City. That’s the game I saw that these guys really put me under pressure or they were on me all the time. But I can’t say that this striker or that striker gave me problems because I’m not familiar with their names really.

DF: In the PSL, you’re competing with some top goalkeepers, like Ronwen Williams, Melusi Buthelezi, Darren Keet and Richard Ofori, and stats-wise you’re the number one keeper in the country. SM:

I’m very proud of myself because of my first entry being where I am and competing with those great goalkeepers who have been here for a long time. They are very talented and the teams they play for are great, so I just have to be proud of myself. It keeps me pushing that if I’m at Richards Bay and I can do this, then that means I can do better.

DF: What has the message been from your coaches on your bright performances?

SM: The coaches have been really supportive to my side from the day they saw me and they liked me from the day I took over the first spot. They trusted me, you know. Coming here and being the first goalkeeper in the team, it’s really a wonderful thing for me, and also them trusting me in every single game, it helps me to give me the motivation to trust myself knowing that they push me. They are really great. We work as a family. As goalkeepers, we are together, so this has helped me build myself and also help the team to be where we are.

DF: The Natal Rich Boyz are one of two teams with the least amount of foreigners in the league. You only have two. Does that then give you an extra push knowing the expectations placed on a foreign player?

SM: Yeah, that also gives me more motivation to perform because as a foreigner, you have to be better than the local player. You have to be twice or thrice (as better), you don’t have to be equal with anyone. So, you have to show that you’re a foreigner, you came to work. You are better or you are (a) better option. That’s why they hired a foreigner. That makes me all the time to try and do my best to keep myself at the top level knowing that I’m a foreigner, I have to do better, I have to work twice as hard

as local players.

DF: Ugandan national Milutin Sredojevic to SA football. music to your ears. SM: Actually, it (the PSL) is more credible than other leagues because I was in the NFD [NaDivision, tional First now Motsepe Foundation Championship), I didn’t receive any call-u p, but recently, because of my performances, he has been more supportive and encouraging me. So, I think it has helped me to have more connection with him and also him looking at me being back in the national team.

team coach is no stranger That must be

DF: looks retain and finish Eight. portant you your ground

The team on course to their status possibly even in the Top How imis it for guys to keep feet on the and to focus on the job at hand instead of getting carried away? SM:

For sure, it’s easy to be carried away, but what has helped us is that the whole team, technical bench and players humble ourselves. Like everyone knows, we are the underdogs, so let’s just go and play. What God brings is what we’re going to take, so we just go in and play football and any result that comes, we go with it. But we thank God that we are where we are because of our performance and also taking it game by game.

DF: Finally, we know that the Goalkeeper of the Season gets judged on the amount of clean sheets kept throughout the campaign. Is that award something you are aiming for? SM: I won’t say that it’s what I’m aiming for at the moment, but I think our target was to save the club. If we save the club from relegation and keep it in the PSL (topflight), anything that comes up is a bonus. Yeah, it will be a big achievement for me, for Richards Bay, if we come up with the best goalkeeper. If we get the most clean sheets in the league, that’s a bonus for us. So, we go with our target, that’s the first priority we have – to survive and stay in the league – and anything that comes for us, it’s a bonus because we’re working as a team.

“Coming here and being the first goalkeeper in the team, it’s really a wonderful thing.”

In most top footballing countries around the world, each week the authoritative soccer publication of that country selects that country’s ‘Team of the Week’. As the biggest stand-alone weekly soccer only publication in the country, Soccer Laduma brings you the country’s most prestigious and authoritative ‘Team of the Week’.

Credit must be given to AmaZulu FC, although they lost. Pirates were lucky to score from that free kick. VAR is needed in SA football, as sometimes the officiating is not fair. I can’t wait to see Chiefs v Pirates this coming weekend, the recent match between the two rivals was interesting. To my favourite team, please continue with the team that beat Pirates. We need cups in our camp now. Players who are not performing, let them face the consequences and there must be money deducted from their salaries. Added to that, keep them on the bench for a while. Isaac Tsenene, via email

What a game. It was very unpredictable as both teams went on to torment each other. Saleng, as expected, did what he does best, scoring the solitary goal that ended Pirates’ trophy drought. AmaZulu FC players were in top form. Folz remained stranded as the cup went to Orlando. Congrats to Bucs. Moses Mokoena,

Ga-Mokwakwaila

I just want to take this opportunity to give credit to Referee Luxolo Badi, who was the man in the middle during the MTN8 final. He controlled the game well and was not card-happy like refs usually are. He allowed players to express themselves without intimidating them with cards. It’s so unfortunate that he did not see Mhango’s tackle on Sibisi, which happened so fast. If all the referees can control their temper and allow players to express themselves, soccer matches will be interesting. Gomes was calm and collected in the Soweto Derby, and now Badi. Keep on doing good, referees, we acknowledge your improvement. Mosa “Mr Cool wa le Easy” Mothobi, Ga-Rankuwa