I’m no donkey: Anele Ngcongca
Why Bafana Bafana defender decided to come back to his roots
A TRAINING ground incident, during which he felt he was being treated like a donkey, signalled the beginning of the end of Anele Ngcongca’s stay in Belgium.
But, it was being reduced to training by an under-12 coach that convinced the Bafana Bafana international defender to terminate his contract with Racing Genk.
“We were doing an 11 against 11 session. I got hit on the ankle. I felt the pain. I sat down and said I have pain,” explains Ngcongca. “The coach came to me straight and said I thought African people are strong.
“I was emotional. What did he mean by saying that?
“We are not donkey’s or something else. We’re not robots. We also feel pain. I was angry. I left the field to go tell the director what happened. I took my things and went home.”
The next day, club directors tried to plead with Ngcongca — a club veteran of 223 appearances — to make peace with Peter Maes, who had just joined Genk from Sporting Lokeren.
“The next day they called me to the office. They told me he’s a kind of coach like that, he’s aggressive when he talks.
“But I told the coach that I have been here for nine years. First of all you never sat down with me and explained your philosophy, what you need from me.
“I said if it is like that, then I don’t think we will see eye to eye. I asked for a transfer.”
And so it was that the son of a footballer-father and basketball player-mother packed his bags. Destination? French Ligue 1. Duration? Season-long loan at Troyes.
There was no room for reconciliation, only frustration, when Ngcongca returned to Genk.
“Things went from bad to worse. I felt very frustrated, because me and two other players who came back from loan were made to train with the under-12 coach.
“What session can you have with three players? I had to be strong. That’s what they do in Europe.
“I thought that having been there for nine years, they could at least say train with the first team, but you’re not in our plans.”
Wheels were set in motion for contract termination.
It came to fruition this week when he obtained his international clearance.
The 28-year-old back came to Chloorkop to put pen on a threeyear deal with an option for an extra season for the seven-time Premier Soccer League champions Mamelodi Sundowns.
The PSL is new territory for the lanky lad from NY 12 in Gugulethu who went straight from the National First Division to the Belgian league.
Ngcongca offers a different perspective to the narrative of failure often associated with European league returnees.
“If Robinho or Pato go back to Brazil, it tells the story that the Brazil league is good.
“In the PSL, we’ve got a good league in Africa.
“It tells a story if guys from Colombia come and play in South Africa. They are close to Brazil, they could have gone and played there.
“The PSL is improving every year. We have to keep it like that, make it stronger, more interesting,” says Ngcongca.
“Some of the players attempt to go to Europe, but they don’t get game time. Yes, it is nice to go to Europe, but it may not be meant for you.
“I think the PSL has improved a lot. I’m privileged to come play during its 20-year anniversary.
“I’ve come at the right time. I’m not here to retire or to take a pension. I’ve come at an age when I’m still fresh and hungry and willing to help Sundowns.”
An amateur player for United Aces and Orlando Cape Town Pirates, his uncle, who loved reading newspapers, told me: “Stop playing football in the streets; you’re not going to get paid. Look at people like Quinton Fortune and Benni McCarthy.” From a newspaper article the uncle read an advertisement announcing that newly formed club FC Fortune was going to hold trials.
Together with his former agent Colin Gie, former Atletico Madrid and Manchester United star Fortune founded the now defunct FC Fortune, which campaigned in South Africa’s second-tier league.
“I had never been to trials. I took my chance. Poor mom, she did the best she could to make sure I had brand-new boots, a pair of Asics.
“I went to trial with my friends. It was sad because I was the only one who was scouted.
“To go there smiling and come back, and it is only you who joined.”
Back in the mid 2000’s incumbent Cameroon coach Hugo Broos opened Belgian doors for Ngcongca, who has 53 caps for his country.
The Belgian was attracted to the right-back’s ability and invited him for trial at Anderlecht.
“I did well, but Broos lost his job, so I could not sign with Anderlecht. He’s the one who wanted me.”
After the Anderlecht disappointment, an opportunity of a lifetime arrived when Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal wanted to see the South African up-close and personal.
He lights up when he recalls the two-week experience surrounded by a galaxy of stars in 2006 and still cherishes a memento he got from Togo international Emmanuel Adebayor.
“It was just after the arrival of Adebayor. I still have a jersey from him. [Abou] Diaby was there and they had Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue. There was also Freddy Ljunberg, Robert Pirez, and of course, Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira.
“It was a good experience because Vieira was my role model. I liked his style, desire to fight for the team, his aggression as well as his willingness to win.”
Nothing came of the two-week trial, but something was brewing in Belgium. Wenger recommended him to Genk, where Broos landed a job as joint coach of Genk alongside Ronny Van Geneugden. He came knocking at FC Fortune. “Hugo changed the team to Genk and he invited me again to come for trial. My agent back then, Gie, facilitated everything and I joined Genk in 2007.
“I got a one-year contract with an option for three years.”
The 2010-11 Belgian league winner says working with coach Pitso Mosimane at Bafana was a major factor in his decision to choose Sundowns over Kaizer Chiefs.
“There are two reasons I joined Sundowns. First of all, it was the coach. He is very hard-working and can bring the best out of a player. He loves and is passionate about the game.
“When he was coach of Bafana I enjoyed my game. I know his tactics and philosophy,” he says.
“Secondly, I watched the team’s highlights of last season. I said wow, this is the team (for me). All the departments are great.”
Like a walking encyclopedia, Ngcongca rattles the names of his new teammates with the excitement of a child in a candy shop. At rightback there’s [Siyanda] Zwane, [Asavela] Mbekile. On the left there’s [Tebogo] Langerman and [Mzikayise] Mashaba.
“Keagan Dolly had a wonderful season, so did Khama [Billiat] of course. Not forgetting the Colombian [Leonardo] Castro.
“And now you’ve got the likes of Vila [Sibusiso Vilakazi], [Ivory Coast international Yannick] Zakri, Thabo Morena, Lucky Mohomi and the likes of the Brazilian defender [Ricardo Nascimento].
“There’s the general Thabo Nthethe guiding the youngsters. That’s what made me to not even think twice about joining this team.”
Coming back home also means that Ngcongca will get to spend more time with his daughter Siphosethu.
“She was born in 2010 and I was not there. She’s turning six this year and she needs that love from her dad.
“The other thing is that my mother is also getting older. She’s got diabetes. She needs me by her side.
“These are the other reasons that influenced my decision to come back home. My mother will be happy now.
“She doesn’t have to travel 10 hours to see me. It will now only be two hours from Cape Town to Jozi.”
He was not selected for Bafana’s matches against Mauritania on Friday night and the Nelson Mandela Challenge encounter against Egypt.
“This is a good preparation for coach Shakes [Mashaba] for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
“I want to be part of the Bafana team that will make sure that we go to Russia 2018. Who knows, maybe it could be my last World Cup,” said Ngcongca. SUNDOWNER: The PSL is new territory for the lanky lad from NY 12 in Gugulethu, Cape Town
I took my chance. Poor mom, she did the best she could to make sure I had brand-new boots, a pair of Asics Secondly, I watched the team’s highlights of last season. I said wow, this is the team (for me)