Reflections of a soccer maestro

| Friday April 24, 2009 00:00

 

Mmegi: Most people see you on the field of play and do not know much about you. Who is Masego Ntshingane?

Ntshingane: I was born in Mahalapye on July 14 1978. I am the first-born in a family of four. My younger sister was married last year. One of my two brothers is still at Junior Secondary while the last born is at primary school. I did my primary school in Mahalapye and Gaborone because my mother's work commitments meant that I had to travel with her wherever she went. I did my junior certificate at Mahalapye Secondary School and Cambridge at Madiba Secondary School between 1993 and 1995. I did my national service in Gaborone and after that I joined the army as an officer cadet. Currently, I am a captain in the army at Glen Valley.

Mmegi: What attracted you to football?

Ntshingane: Like any other boy, when I grew up I played football in Mahalapye. From an early age, I could tell that I have talent as I always excelled when playing with people older than me. Few people know that when I was at Junior Secondary, I played volleyball as a setter and went on to feature in the BISA finals. I was forced to play volleyball because I could not feature in the school's football team due to my small body frame. I could not compete with the bigger boys. But inside me, I knew that I have talent and was always confident that one day, I will get a chance to excel in football. When I went to Madiba, I got a breakthrough and played for the school team. At the time, Madiba were unstoppable in football and won everything. While at Madiba, the sports master Mr Raditodi Mapii was also an official at Mahalapye Hotspurs, so he recruited me to the club when I was doing Form Four. I played for Hotspurs in the First Division and we were promoted to the then Super League. When we were relegated in 1995, Notwane recruited me. But I only got to play for them late in the year when I returned from the African Under-17 Championships in Mali. I did not have problems settling at Toronto because I had the likes of Maano (Mbaakanyi) and Des (Hambira) who were also teammates in the Under-17 team. The fact that (Phillip) Makgalemele was the manager for both Notwane and Under-17 also helped me. The good thing is that even the senior players like Malombo Thari and Scara (Kebalepile) accepted me because they realised that I was special. Despite my age, they had respect for me and helped me a lot to grow as a player. That Notwane team was special and coach Paul Moyo knew how to motivate the players.

Mmegi: How do you rate Paul Moyo as a coach, considering that Notwane won many trophies under his guidance?

Ntshingane: He knew how to motivate players. He was more like a father to us. Even today, I have respect for the old man because he is an understanding man. The other plus for him is that he managed to assemble a good team which had the likes of Maybin Chama and Fabian Zulu. At the time, Fabian was a brilliant player and went on to represent the Zimbabwean national team. The other thing which made Moyo to achieve things was because he had a strong management. A good coach will never go wrong if he has a sound administration.

Mmegi: Despite commanding a regular place at Notwane at a young age, you left to join Mogoditshane Fighters in 1997. Why did you leave?

Ntshingane: While at the national Under-20 team, an opportunity to join the army arose and I decided to move on hence I joined Fighters. I had an understanding with (David) Bright who was also my coach at Under-20 so it was always going to be easy to settle in. Though my mother did not support the idea to join the army, I made up my mind because I wanted to help her to put bread on the table as she is a single parent.

Mmegi: You played for the invincible Fighters' side which won every cup on offer in Botswana football. What made Fighters strong at the time?

Ntshingane: Bright built a strong side and had financial support from BDF (Botswana Defence Force). The coach was also passionate and wanted the best out of his players.

Bright finished his business in training and we knew what to do during match day. I would say we were more like a well-oiled machine. We were like a big family and the players were committed and this made our opponents to struggle against us. That team had the most entertaining players and after games we used to enjoy the company of each other.

I would say in the Fighters' team, it was such an honour to play with Barnes (Patrick Molefe) who was an amazing player and it is quite unfortunate that he did not have a chance to play for the Zebras. Unlike other teams, we had time to train and travel to games.

Mmegi: There is no doubt that you enjoyed every year at Fighters but which was the best?

Ntshingane: When I arrived from army training in 1998, Bright made me the captain. I took over  from the late Boboza (Donald Thobega) despite the fact that there were other experienced players in the team. That was a special honour for me because it encouraged me to work extra hard. I was the captain until I left for the United States in 2001 and when I came back, I once again wore the armband. The icing on the cake was that we won everything on offer. I got the support from fellow teammates and I never felt any jealousy.

Mmegi: You have captained Fighters, the national Under-17, 20, 23 teams and the Zebras. What makes a good captain?

Ntshingane: You have to be born a leader. I believe that you have to push yourself hard at training and during games. This is because your teammates look up to you when the chips are down. Being a captain, you act as a link between the players, coach and management. You have to be close to each player. You should not have favourites. At Fighters, it was amazing because I got a lot of respect from the senior players and at times, I was even touched when they came to me and disclosed their  problems.

Mmegi: Which is the toughest cup competition you have played in at Fighters?

Ntshingane: I must say when we beat FC Satmos 3-0 in the Coca-Cola Cup final in 2000.

I played my heart out in that game. Despite the score, it was a tough game which kept the supporters on the edge of their seats because both sides displayed entertaining football on the day. The other thing which makes the final special was that though both sides did not have a huge support base, fans packed the stadium because they wanted to see beautiful football. The other thing which deserves mention is that prior to the final, we won all our games on penalties. That goes to show you how tough it was and interestingly, Bright never chose the players to take penalties. Every time we went to penalties, he told us we put ourselves in the situation and we must take responsibility for it. We knew who was to take the penalties and I always had to make major decisions as a captain.

Mmegi: Currently, Fighters are struggling to make ends meet in the Premier League. What can be done to bring those good times back for the Brazilians?

Ntshingane: It all started when BDF withdrew their support from the team some years ago. It is tough for them financially and I do not know what is going to happen to get them out of that situation. Every time I feel bad for Fighters because I had a good time there and won every cup on offer. By the look of things, they might find themselves in the First Division because I cannot remember the last time they won a game this season.

This is not helped by the fact that other sides like Notwane are winning. I just pray that they survive relegation and get the necessary support and build a strong side again.

Mmegi: After serving Fighters for 11 years, you shocked many people when you moved to BDF XI during the August transfer window. What made you to leave?

Ntshingane: I felt that it was time for Fighters to rebuild and they could not do that around me. Before leaving, I sat down with the coach (Letang Kgengwenyane) and discussed the matter at length and we agreed that I should move on. That is why there was no noise about my transfer and I guess it was finalised a few hours before the window closed. I also want to leave the game on a winning note because I felt I could not achieve that at Fighters when they are rebuilding. I believe that BDF XI can end the season with either the league title or Coke Cup. I settled for BDF XI because they have always wanted me and when I realised their mission during the transfer window, I believed that the time was right to join them.

Mmegi: Recently, you scored a brilliant freekick for BDF XI against Notwane. Since your days at Fighters, you seem to be enjoying scoring against them. Why?

Ntshingane: It is nothing personal. Maybe it is because when I face them, I do work extra hard because they are my former team. These things just happen because right now, for example Pontsho (Moloi) always score against Notwane since moving to Chiefs. The good thing is that those who have been close to Notwane for long know that they are my second home since they introduced me to big time football.

Mmegi: When you grew up in Mahalapye, which team did you support?

Ntshingane: I supported Township Rollers because they were unstoppable and had some of the most exciting players in the league. When they lost, I used to skip meals because I was so passionate about the team. They used to have excellent players like Thabo Motang, Trigger Molelekwa, Lefty Ntsiane, Desmond Molefe and States Segopolo.

Mmegi: How do you rate your chances of winning the league championship this season with BDF XI?

Ntshingane: With due respect, it is going to be tough to dispose those two teams (Gaborone United and Mochudi Centre Chiefs) from the top because they hardly drop points. We are going to try our best to stay in touch because anything can happen.

Mmegi: How long are you going to be in this game?

Ntshingane: Every season's end, I sit down and review my performance. I am not sure but I think this might be my last season in football. When you are actively involved in football, you hardly have time to do other things at home because you get to travel a lot.

Mmegi: The Zebras have failed to qualify for a major tournament over the years. What is the problem?

Ntshingane: The problem has been investment. In order to qualify for a major tournament, you must have a plan. Ben Koufie made a good foundation and we were on the right track but things fell apart due to bad planning. We came close to reaching the finals of a big tournament during the time when Vesco (Veselin Jelusic) was in charge and we were supposed to have continuity. To be honest, when (Colwyn) Rowe left, our performance dropped. I believe that players have to be picked for the national team because of their form unlike right now. We are not going anywhere and the sad thing is that even the supporters have turned their backs on the Zebras.

Mmegi: You played under the likes of Jeff Butler, David Bright, Freddie Mwila, Veselin Jelusic. Who is the best?

Ntshingane: Bright will always have a soft place in my heart because I am what I am today because of him. But I believe, Vesco contributed a lot in my development and that of every player who he coached. That is why he is loved by every Motswana and the stadiums were packed to the rafters when he was in charge.

Mmegi: Select the best eleven players you played with during your days in the national team

Ntshingane: Modiri Marumo, Pio Paul, Nelson Gabolwelwe, Ernest Amos, Pius Kolagano, Ndiyapo Letsholathebe, myself, Mogogi Gabonamong, Tummie Duiker, Tshepiso Molwantwa and Dipsy Selolwane. I have played with a lot of talented players it is unfortunate that I had to choose only 11. But they must know they were all special and I am lucky to have worked with them.

Mmegi: Any future plans after you retire from active football?

Ntshingane: I intend to become BFA president because I want to change the phase of our football. When the time is right, I will come out and campaign.