‘Don’t be shy to show off your skill’

QALINGE SAYS THIS IS HOW PLAYERS STAY TRUE TO THE IDENTITY OF THE COUNTRY’S FOOTBALL

South African football is synonymous with flair and skill, which is often described as showboating.

Players who are able to twist and turn and leave opponents on their knees, such as SuperSport United’s Thabo Qalinge, are said to be disrespectful to the opposition. But Qalinge says it is okay to show some skill and stay true to the identity of the country’s football which saw the likes of Jabu Mahlangu, Jomo Sono and the late Shakes Khungwane thrive in their heyday.

“If it is working for the team and it is producing for the team, why not? If you can take on three players and score or provide an assist then it is okay,” Qalinge told Phakaaathi.

“If you look at Brazilian players, the likes of Neymar and Ronaldinho, they do these things but it is sad that when most of these South African players do this in the dying minutes of the game, some people will say it is showboating. The likes of Jabu Mahlangu used to do this, Teko Modise as well because they understood the culture. They did this in the Soweto derby because they knew it was a big game that divides Soweto into two. You need to enjoy your football and not be a slave of football,” he added.

Qalinge recently returned to SuperSport United after five seasons at Orlando Pirates. It was at SuperSport where the foundation of his career was laid in the club’s academy back in 2012.

“I spent five years at Pirates, two years at Mpumalanga Black Aces and I feel like I have grown. It feels good to be home and play for the team and I owe it to them. I thank the coach for bringing me here,” he said.

“I remember coach Kwanele Kopo (SuperSport’s MDC coach) teaching us football. When you come from kasi, you don’t really have the technical awareness and when I got here I thought I knew how to play football but that was not the case.

“I came here from a Castle League team and I never knew anything about body positioning, receiving the ball in certain ways, dodging offside and things like that. I was fortunate to learn here and you learn every day in football. I could say I am a complete and a mature player today, only to find out there is a lot I still need to learn.”

At Pirates he shot to fame and the crowd loved him for his skilful touches. He was surrounded by household names such as Daine Klate, Lucky Lekgwathi and Oupa Manyisa. Qalinge was not intimidated by these top players despite being the youngest in the team.

“I got there when I was 22 and I knew I was not going to do a 9 to 5 job, I knew I was going to make a career out of football. I knew I was going to play in front of big crowds in the Soweto derby and I knew I would shine. I had that belief and when those things come, they don’t catch you by surprise because you have meditated about them before,” he said.

“When I got there the senior players told me to play my game and not be scared and they always told me my time would come and that is why I had no pressure at Pirates. I had the belief things would come and I was not in a rush to play but I worked hard and I showed the coach I wanted to play and when the opportunity did not come, I was not frustrated. Footballers get frustrated when they don’t play and end up doing mischievous things but I was never like that.”

He was very cagey about revealing his targets for the season at United, as he has so far made one appearance off the bench and played for only eight minutes.