The season is over and Gift Motupa only had 20 minutes of competitive football. It was a topsy-turvy season for the 29-year-old, who was released by Mamelodi Sundowns during the January transfer window, after he was no longer training with the first team. After leaving Chloorkop, the striker trained with Tshwane rivals SuperSport United, but was not there for long before he eventually made a return to his former club Baroka FC in February. His reunion with the Limpopo outfit lasted only two months, as he left the club before the expiration of his four-month contract. Soccer Laduma's Tshepang Mailwane managed to get hold of the former Orlando Pirates and Bidvest Wits attacker to talk about the difficult season he had, trying to gather some information about what happened at Sundowns, SuperSport, and Baroka.
Tshepang Mailwane: Hola Gift, it's been a while since we last spoke. What have you been up to since?
Gift Motupa: Not much is happening. Life is full of highs and lows, you understand? At your peak, you look untouchable. At your lowest, you look like you won't resurrect. But anything is possible. Life can change quickly, but we should enjoy it. As coach Rhulani (Mokwena) says: "Football is the least important of the most important thing. The most important thing is life." The fact that we are able to communicate, it means that there is hope and there is tomorrow.
TM: That's true! The season is over, and you only played 20 minutes of football the entire campaign. How do you feel about this?
GM: I know what the challenge was. When I signed the four-month contract at Baroka, I felt that I had rushed myself. I was not ready. Physically and mentally, I had to put everything to rest. I know that I still have an opportunity. There are so many teams that I can have a pre-season with, in all honesty. If you were saying: "Gift is a bad person, and he does not come to training"…then you could say I have a bad image. But I don't have a bad image. I don't think there is a club that can't say: "Let's give him a chance."
TM: How did your departure from Baroka happen because you were only there for two months?
GM: I spoke to the chairman (Khurishi Mphahlele). I think it was a week before I left. I said to him: "In my humble opinion, I don't think for now I am ready to fully participate in the game". He asked me why, and I responded that I am a very respectful person, but at the moment, I think I made a rushed decision. I asked that I go home and reassess myself. When the season ends, that's when I will come to a conclusion of what I want to do, whether with or without Baroka. The chairman was not in agreement with it, but there is one thing I like about him. He understood what I was talking about. When I sent the coach (Dan Malesela) a letter to say that I am not okay, he said he would discuss it with the chairman. The letter came through the coach and the chairman ended up accepting it. He first tried to convince me not to do it, but he ended up accepting it. My relationship with the chairman is like father and son.
TM: Before you signed with Baroka FC in February, you were training with SuperSport United. What happened there?
GM: Nothing happened. I still have the message where I was speaking to Gavin Hunt. Gavin said: "Gift, I want to sign you. The problem is that there are challenges at the club regarding some finances. Go and try somewhere else, or you can train with us until the end of the season, so that we can get you fit." I saw it fit, at the time, to go home to Limpopo. I thought if I went home, everything would work. When I got home, I discovered that I needed to wait a bit. I was not ready. That's what happened with SuperSport.
TM: Does that mean there is still a chance that SuperSport will sign you?
GM: I 100 percent believe so. Depending on how I come back, I think it will be possible. But if it's not possible, it's still okay. There is nothing I can do in that situation.
TM: What do you mean by 'depending on how I come back'?
GM: Remember, I have not been playing for some time. My fitness levels are not the best. That's why I wanted to start pre-season: to get fitter and be ready when the new season starts.
TM: Had you gained some weight?
GM: It's normal, my friend. It's normal. But when people don't understand life, you will say, 'Gift has gained weight,' instead of saying, 'He is working on his weight loss. It's about how you put it because people will know that I am working hard. Do you know how hard our industry is? It's very difficult. There are lions there. They will eat you up.
TM: You left Mamelodi Sundowns in January, please take us through how it was decided that you are going to leave?
GM: I can't tell you all the details. I don't want bad things to happen. After a few years, I'll be able to tell the story properly. But for now, I can say there was an agreement between Sundowns and I, to say it's time. I said: "Thank you very much." We came to an agreement to terminate the contract, and there was no bad blood. I still had a few months left on my contract with Sundowns.
TM: From our understanding, you were not training with the first team during the first half of the season, until you left…
GM: No, I wasn't training with the first team.
TM: Who were you training with?
GM: That's why I say there are certain things I can't reveal at the moment. I don't think it's a good time. I will reveal them at the right time. It's not like I don't want to reveal information, but now it's not the right time.
TM: Fair enough. What was the experience of not training with the first team like?
GM: For me, I know my ground and I know my worth. I know who I am and where I am going. I am not shaken by circumstances and situations. That's why I am saying the time will come for them.
TM: So, it did not affect you on a mental level?
GM: Not necessarily. I was prepared for it. To be honest, I knew it was coming. Actually, it had been there for a long time. It was just revealed when the contract was terminated.
TM: Wait Gift. Are you saying you saw it coming that you would no longer train with the first team at Sundowns? How did you see it coming?
GM: That's why I say there are certain things I cannot reveal for now. What I can say is that Sundowns is a great club. I am not surprised to see where they are. They are a really great club. When other people are doing well, you should celebrate them. You should never hold grudges. I can't do that.
TM: How was your relationship with coach Rhulani Mokwena?
GM: Super. It was great. Even if you were to do a conference call with him now, he would tell you it was great. That's the truth. It's just that we had disagreements here and there and it's normal. In relationships, there are disagreements, so you can't fault anyone. I can even talk to him now.
TM: What types of disagreements did you have?
GM: It's football disagreements. How he sees things is not always how I see things. How he does things is not always how I believe it should be done. It's normal. Obviously, one has to be excused and that was me. And I took it, and I appreciated it because it's good for both parties. There is a lot of respect between us. That's why I say we can have a conference call. The level of respect is so high. And it's not only him. It's everyone at Sundowns. They knew that I stand for what I believe in. If I feel something is wrong, I say it. I am a straight-forward person. I will tell you like it is.
TM: What do you think hampered your progress at Sundowns because you did not get a lot of game time?
GM: One of the factors was injuries. I had a lot of injuries. The second one is that the games that I played, I used the opportunity that I had. I do have a Man of the Match award, so you ask yourself why somebody who has a Man of the Match would be released just a few years later. At some point I was playing consistently. I performed well against Al Ahly, where nobody believed that I could. I was the best performer.
TM: Did you get to say goodbye to your teammates at Sundowns?
GM: No, I didn't. Actually, I said goodbye to my teammates while I was still with them. They could see that it was coming. They just did not know when, but they could see that it was coming. I was very straight and open. I am a straight talker.
TM: What's next for you?
GM: I am coming back. Very strong.
TM: Thank you so much for your time. We will catch up again soon.
GM: Thank you.
