Former Zambian international striker Wedson Nyirenda remembers how he announced his arrival at Kaizer Chiefs on his way to becoming a household name in local football.
Nyirenda, who is now a coach and currently with Clube Ferroviário da Beira of Mozambique, was a prolific striker who made headlines in Mzansi and on the continent by scoring goals for Chiefs in the early 1990s.
Read – Zwane Backs Protege To Come Of Age: He's A Special Talent
The 55-year-old says the pressure of playing for a big club of Amakhosi's calibre meant that he had to be on top of his game at all times.
"Let me talk about myself and how I managed to make an impact at Kaizer Chiefs. Before I went to Chiefs, you must remember that there was a big Zambian name there, Albert Bwalya. The big man was a very good player and he had a hard shot. He gave Kaizer Chiefs something to smile about. But by the time I went to Chiefs, he had already left. And another much-respected name that I still respect now but he is not a Zambian, is the big Shane McGregor. Imagine I was coming in to fit into the big shoes of the big Shane McGregor and look at how prolific that man was," said Nyirenda, speaking to the Siya crew.
Read: Larsen Identified For Potential PSL Return
"I didn't take Chiefs for granted because I knew what was expected from me because when I joined the club I had everything explained to me about the club and the expectations. When we were given a training program for the week, you won't believe that whenever there were scheduled resting periods, I would be doing my own work (training).
"The first game I played for Chiefs was a curtain-raiser at FNB Stadium in 1994. The whole stadium was packed with Chiefs fans. It was like we were playing the main game and you know how passionate Chiefs fans are. I scored with a hard shot from a cross from Tshepo Molatedi. I connected it outside the box and hit it with a first time shot and it went in. That was the announcement to Chiefs people that I had arrived. But I knew that was a problem because you can't show Chiefs people that here you are this week and the next week the fire goes down, you have to be consistent," he said.
You must be Sign In to read and post comments.
