I always try my best

“All you can do is just believe, work hard and let God do the rest.”

“When Bernard came, it was a whole different story as well because…”

Mlungisi Mbunjana takes a philosophical and spiritual approach when he speaks about how he went from playing in the UJ Campus League in 20 11 to turning out in the Premier Soccer League just a few years later. He believes in the uniqueness of every person’s journey, and that his was ordained by the Man Above. This means he has no qualms about having broken into the top-flight set-up at age 28, aside from having to do his best every day in order to be the best version of himself. On the evidence of it, TS Galaxy are affording him that space and platform

Delmain Faver: TS Galaxy recently boarded a flight to Turkey to play some very high-profile friendly games in preparation for the resumption of the season after the World Cup. Can you tell us more about the trip and how you think it will stand you guys in good stead for what promises to be a grueling second half of the campaign?

Mlungisi Mbunjana:

First of all, I think it’s a very great opportunity for each and every one of us, actually, especially for the younger guys to go abroad and play, not only to gain the experience but also to increase their chances of maybe being seen or being taken by a team that side and growing in that kind of set-up. So, it’s a good opportunity, in fact, for everybody because we have, like, a w hole lot of friendlies lined up. I think it’s around six friendlies lined up. Therese are high-profile friendlies. There are Turkish teams that we are set to play our first friendlies against on 6 December and then we have Sampdoria, who play in the Serie A. I think there’s also Galatasaray on the line-up. So, it’s a very good opportunity and I think it’ll help the guys get a lot of experience and know how to deal with certain things at certain times and grow within the game.

DF: This can only bode well for you guys because truth be told, you only get better by playing against better opposition. What is coach Sead Ramovic saying his expectation is with these matches?

MM: He’s someone that always wants to see players improve, wants to see players grow, wants to see players have a winning mentality and, of course, I think we’re not just gonna be playing those friendlies for the sake of playing but firstly trying to improve and trying to win those friendlies. So, I think yeah, that’s what the coach will be looking for from us when it comes to those games.

DF: Looking at how you guys have started this season, just how much do you think this trip will help you guys to come out guns blazing in the second round?

MM: I think the aim and the main focus of this camp is to prepare as best as possible so that when the league restarts, we are well conditioned, we are in good shape and we are ready to resume the league and win matches. So, I think the main reason for us is to prepare, it’s preparation, and like you said, you only get better when you play against better opposition, so the aim behind playing against better opposition is for us to get better so that when we come home, we are better players, we are a better team, we are better individuals, we are a better football club.

DF: Absolutely, and also, like you mentioned earlier, it’s also an opportunity for young players to get spotted. In your case, it took a while to catch the eye and make that breakthrough, and today you’re one of the top PSL midfielders.

MM: I believe that everybody has his own journey and the destinies are different, so if somebody broke through before me, that’s his journey and if God wanted me to break through at the time that I broke through, that’s my journey. So, I believe that if you keep the plan intact, if you keep the dream intact, it’s just a matter of time (before) you get that break and when you do, just continue doing what you were doing just before you got the break – continue to work hard. Like you said that I’m one of the best midfielders in the country, I don’t know about that, but I always try my best. I always try to improve myself. I always try to work harder and just to make sure that I go through this journey the way God wants me to go through the journey. So, I always try my best to be the best version of what I can be and if that puts me in the category of being named among the best midfielders in the country, then so be it because I think it’s something that I put a lot of effort towards and it’s something that I try my best to be.

DF: Sure. MM: Like I said, I think if the dream is intact, it’s easy to keep the focus and if you know what you really want and you believe that you are going to get what you want, God will put you where He wants to put you. All you can do is just believe, work hard and let God do the rest. Because there’s certain things that you can’t control, there’s certain things that you can’t do. Yeah, I just give my 100% (effort) and that’s what I can control.

DF: Looking at your numbers, consistency is the one thing that stands out from your time at Highlands Park. What do you put that down to? After all, with a lot of players, it’s one fantastic season and then they fade into the sunset. MM: I think it maybe goes with the love of to improve his game, and he will be looking to deliver more of the same performances as the club aims at doing much better upon the season’s resumption. The Sead Ramovic-led side has recently been in Turkey playing a series of high-profile friendly games, and in this interview with Soccer Laduma’s Delmain F aver, Mbunjana opens up on these games, Bernard Parker’s impact and how he plans on becoming one of the best in his position.

the game, number one. Secondly, it’s wanting to play and wanting to help the team and knowing that you bring a different dimension into the game when you are around than when you are not. Plus, if you feel and you think that the team needs a player like you or a version like you, then you know that you need to work harder so that you can stay fit. You need to go to the gym, you need to do all these extra sessions so that you stay fit and you stay ready. Even when you get to play as many games the following season, you make sure you are physically ready and you can pull through and do whatever your body needs you to do.

DF: Does it put a bit more pressure on you when you are a bit of a late bloomer to the PSL to, sort of, fasttrack your success?

MM: No, it does not. I think if God wants to put you at a certain place at a certain time, that’s His plan and you can’t rearrange that plan or you can’t re-do that plan because He’s the one that controls pretty much everything. That’s why

I’m saying when I got the chance, I never wanted to play catch-up or anything like that. I just wanted to do what I could do at whatever point or position in time that I’m put at so that I could do whatever that I could and let go of what I couldn’t control.

DF: This season, a couple of veteran campaigners, in the form of Bernard Parker, Xola Mlambo and Sibusiso Vilakazi, joined the team to add to your armoury. How much did the addition of these players impact the team both on and off the field?

MM: Yeah, it helps a lot. If you saw at the beginning of the season, I think we had a good start and then after six to seven games, we kind of dropped a little bit, but when the guys came on board, they helped us a lot. Someone like Vila sharing the experience from (Mamelodi) Sundowns, all that kind of success… you get to learn a lot from guys like him. Xola as well, when he came in, brought all his experience from playing for a big club and how things are done in certain situations and how certain things are done. When Bernard came, it was a whole different story as well because he also helped us a lot in the dressing room – leadership, helping us, helping the attackers, helping everyone basically to do better, to improve, to be better versions of themselves.

DF: Mlu, thanks so much for speaking to us, and we can’t wait to see a better version of yourself in the second round.

MM: Pleasure.