Ngoma eager to make history with Cape Town City

THE day was September 29, the year 2012, and it’s a 90 minutes Aubrey Ngoma will never forget.

It’s a memory frozen in time, and it’s a tale of achievement the Cape Town City winger will be regaling his grandkids with long after his playing days are over.

On that day, Ngoma in the colours of the University of Pretoria, a team just promoted to the PSL at the time, hammered their illustrious opponents Ajax Cape Town 5-1 at the Cape Town Stadium.

Ngoma scored four goals that day as he terrorised the Cape side’s defence.

The heavy defeat had all sorts of ramifications for Ajax, eventually leading to the axing of Dutch coach Maarten Stekelenburg. But, for Ngoma, it was a performance that would rocket him to the attention of bigger PSL clubs.

Now, at City, the 27-yearold Ngoma is continuing in the same vein. He, along with teammate Lebogang Manyama, have been in fantastic form for the new Cape PSL club. And, in an engaging touch of irony, in one those delicious little offbeat tales football loves to spring on its followers, when Ngoma got the four goals for AmaTuks that day, Manyama was in the vanquished Ajax side.

“Of course, I can never forget that day,” said Ngoma. “It was one of the best moments of my career... I guess it’s just a matter of form, and working to be consistent once you are in form. I really enjoy playing at the Cape Town Stadium, it’s my favourite stadium in the country.”

From Hammanskraal, a township north of Pretoria, Ngoma started his junior career at community club called Bolton Wanderers. He was recommended to Sammy Troughton and Steve Barker, who were then the coaches at the University of Pretoria.

He made an impression and was drafted into the club’s Under-16 squad. By the time he was 18, he was in Tuks’ National First Division squad and he was instrumental in the team winning promotion in 2012. After the sensational four goals against Ajax, Ngoma was on the radar of the big clubs – and it was Orlando Pirates who won the race for his signature.

It was slow going at the star- studded Pirates, but, after a move to Mpumalanga Black Aces in 2015, he flourished under the tutelage of coach Muhsin Ertugral. The Mpumalanga side finished the season in a lofty fourth position on the PSL log.

But things changed. John Comitis bought the PSL franchise of Black Aces. He relocated the team to the Mother City and renamed the club Cape Town City. The players who were part of last season’s Black Aces squad had a big decision to make. Did they want to uproot themselves to live and play in the Cape?

“Moving to Cape Town wasn’t really a hard decision to make because the chairman (Comitis) had a meeting with me and explained the vision for the team,” said Ngoma.

“I was encouraged with what he told me, and was eager to be part of making history with this new club.”

And, with Ngoma playing an influential role in attack, City have got off to a great start. They made it to the semifinals of the MTN8 competition and they are currently in fifth position on the PSL standings. To crown it all, they are now also in the semi-finals of the Telkom Knockout, where they will face Free State Stars at the Cape Town Stadium on November 27.

“I think we are starting to understand what the coach wants from us,” said Ngoma. “There’s also an understanding developing among the players. You have to remember that this was a completely new team, so we had to get to know each other, and understand each other’s weaknesses and strengths.

“But I think that because of the core of former Black Aces players it made the adjustment a bit easier.

“As for Stars in the semifinal, I think they are a rejuvenated team since the return of their coach (Italian Giovanni Solinas). They knocked out big guns on their way to the semis, in Wits and Kaizer Chiefs, so surely there’s something special about them.

“But we have to use our homeground advantage and take the game to them. We also have to make sure that we score first because they can be a threat once settled. The team that makes the least mistakes and is hungrier on the day will win the game… I would like to believe that it will be Cape Town City.”