There are many who might not know that Lerato Manzini was playing his football in Iraq and is actually still contracted to Al Qasim SC until the end of June. The striker is currently back in South Africa, having experienced difficulty with the war in Gaza, which has affected life in Iraq. During the time he was in Iraq with Al Qasim, the former Bloemfontein Celtic and Chippa United striker made 21 appearances and found the back of the net on seven occasions. It was the first time in his career playing abroad and it turned out to be one of the most challenging periods of his life, but also played a big part in him growing up as a person. The 33-year-old spoke to Soccer Laduma's Tshepang Mailwane about why he is back in the country, as he reveals some shocking details about what he experienced in Iraq.
Tshepang Mailwane: Hello Lerato, thanks for making time to speak to us. Why are you back in the country before your contract in Iraq expired?
Lerato Manzini: In Iraq, they had United Nations soldiers. As foreigners, we had access to the United Nations soldiers, in case things got worse. When the war in Gaza started, Iraq was also affected, and it was not easy for us as foreigners to continue being that side. It was difficult when the United Nations left, so we were advised to leave the country. We were advised to leave because it was not safe.
TM: How scary was this situation for you?
LM: It was the first time experiencing something like that. You see the things you see in movies, like soldiers, bombing of apartments and stuff?
TM: Yes…
LM: It's things I witnessed. I remember some time in training they reported that there was a boy who would not be able to come to training because there was war in his area. I never saw that boy again till I left the country. I don't know what happened to him because those people don't talk about these things. It's illegal to talk about things happening in the country. I was shocked to witness that, but these are things that can make us grow as people. Even when I came back, I needed some kind of space because I could not believe what I had witnessed. It was like I was dreaming. When I landed in Cape Town (from Iraq), I got to realise how nice life in South Africa is. I had never seen a dead body in my life in the street. I had never seen that in my life, but I got to see it. About 10 to 15 people were lying dead, full of blood on the side of the road. Those things are trauma that you can never take away. For them, life goes on. Those people pray. They don't pray for food. They pray for survival. Sometimes you see people cry when they pray and you can see that this is serious.
TM: You speak of trauma…do you think you would ever need to see a therapist to overcome the things you saw and experienced there?
LM: For me, I am strong. I don't need to see a therapist. I am a man. Life goes on. I took it and moved on with life. Sometimes you must just accept, my brother. You must accept that you are in a tunnel and it's dark. In order to get out of the darkness, you must get out of the tunnel. It was my journey to fight for my life.
TM: Describe the area you were living in while you were in Iraq. Were you able to go out?
LM: You can't go anywhere. I was staying in an area called Karbala. You go to training and back to the house. There are no malls. We were staying in a cottage. That's where the players stay for safety. The bus would arrive for training. We go to training and then come back. Like we would go for a game of the distance between Johannesburg and Polokwane. Then we would come back afterwards. Here in South Africa, we have toll gates and all of those things. There, they have soldiers. The soldiers would check our passports and our visas. If your passport does not have a visa, they arrest you on the spot. You understand how difficult it was?
TM: It really sounds hectic…
LM: To be honest, I am someone who is not scared. Let's say you are staying in this house, but you can see the apartment down the street has been bombed. There were buildings like that, but at the end of the day I had to be strong and soldier on. I had a friend of mine who is from Togo and he was close with Dove Wome, who played in South Africa. I told him that I know Dove Wome and then we spoke on a video call. On the video call, Dove told me to be strong. But, for me, it was a good experience. It was not about missing home, but about learning to be strong. I never told anyone about the experience I had. I only told my wife and mom. I remember there was a time when we were going to a city where they were making peace with another city. It was a peace game. On our way there, you could see people holding boards, guns, and pangas. They put those things down as a sign of peace. I sent my wife a WhatsApp and told her about the situation. I would send my wife a live location every day. I told her that if she does not get me on WhatsApp, she knows the people to contact. I had given her contact details of people she should get in touch with, in case she does not get hold of me.
TM: Was this because you felt that you could die any day there?
LM: Not really. I would not put it that way. I had never played overseas before, so it was that feeling of leaving your country and experiencing such things. It was just a matter of safety.
TM: What's the latest regarding your future with the club in Iraq? Are you going back?
LM: My contract expires on June 30. We will see because there are teams interested in me in that country, ha, ha, ha. I told them that we would talk in July because at the end of the day, for me, it's all about playing football. I will forever play football. It's scary, but I have to face it. I have to enjoy it and I have to see it. I don't wish for any player to be weak when facing such situations. That's the first time I prayed so much in my life. What's worse is that people that side don't speak English.
TM: Why would you consider going back when, clearly, it's not the safest place to be in?
LM: For me, it's about checking whether or not the United Nations soldiers will be back in the country because when those people are there, you can talk to them. If those things can be resolved, I can go back because they offered good money, and the league is very good. I was telling one of the players there to check if the United Nations soldiers are back in the country or not. If that can happen, I know that my safety will be 100 percent.
TM: How does the money compare to the PSL because we've had players staying in the PSL because they feel it's the same as what they would earn abroad?
LM: For me, the most important thing that people should understand is that most of the PSL clubs are run by chairmen with their own money. They are giving back to the community by having clubs. If you can check, in South Africa, we know the bracket of the highest paying clubs in South Africa. You cannot faulter all these other teams because these chairmen are taking money deep from their own pockets to pay the players. Sometimes they sacrifice their own families to run these clubs. That side, clubs are run by a certain company or by a certain group. The money comes from a certain company. Teams in Saudi Arabia, for example, are not run by one person. Teams are run by companies. Money wise, the money is good, I don't want to lie.
TM: Many people might not even know that you were playing in Iraq, so tell us how your move happened.
LM: I spoke to coach (Vladislav) Heric, who was coaching me at Cape Town Spurs. He asked me what my plans were. I spoke to him around May last year. I had already spoken to two teams in the GladAfrica (now Motsepe Foundation Championship) and two teams in the PSL (DStv Premiership), but they wanted me to come for trials. I told coach Heric my situation and he told me that there is a coach he knows who is coaching that side (in Iraq). Then, I spoke to the coach, and he told me that he needed a striker. I told him that I am a free agent and he said to me that the club would contact me to arrange visas and stuff like that. He had already told the club that he was going to sign me. When I got to Iraq, we played a mini tournament. It was a tournament of three teams and we played in Saudi Arabia. In that tournament, we played three games. I scored four goals in those three games, and they were highly impressed. The deal was on because they were happy with me. That's how it happened.
TM: Was that mini tournament a trial of some sort?
LM: No, it was not a trial. The coach had already told me that he wants to sign me. The board was there, and they wanted to be 100 percent sure about my signing. You must remember that those people don't know Chiefs, Pirates and Sundowns. They don't know our league in South Africa. They know Cameroon and other countries, but they don't know about our league.
TM: When you look back at your decision to go to Iraq, was it worth it?
LM: It was worth it. I managed to do certain things with the time that I was there. I learnt a lot of things. There are some outstanding monies they are still going to settle with me. It's a very good lump sum of money. I think it was a good thing to go because I am a footballer at the end of the day. I had no other option but to go. There are teams that are interested in me, but I told them that we would talk in July because I want to assess the situation first.
TM: How does your family feel about the possibility of you going back to Iraq?
LM: They are not looking forward to me going back. But for me it's all about doing what I need to do for my family because I am a man and I have to provide. I can't just sit back.
TM: You don't have any PSL clubs interested in you?
LM: To be honest, I was not looking. I have not spoken to anyone (locally).
TM: Thank you so much for your time. Hopefully we will get to talk to you again soon to find out what your final decision will be.
LM: Thank you. I'll update you.
LERATO MANZINI FACT FILE
Date of birth: 14 August 1990
Place of birth: Welkom, Free State
Position: Striker
Club: Al Qasim SC
Nickname: Ibrahimovic
Jersey number: 12
Previous clubs: Bloemfontein Celtic, SuperSport United, Chippa United, Bizana Pondo Chiefs, Cape Town Spurs, Summerfield Dynamos, Free State Stars, Casric Stars
Honours: 2012 and 2014 Telkom Knockout winner International caps: None
