Former cricketer and now commentator Nono Pongolo has shared an interesting memory on how he grew up playing as a goalkeeper, leading to his admiration of Orlando Pirates legend William Okpara.
Soccer Laduma caught up with Pongolo who shares how he became a Pirates supporter.
How did you become an Orlando Pirates supporter?
I can't tell you when I started, but it was during my teenage years. There are a lot of Kaizer Chiefs fans at home, so as someone who typically does the opposite of what everyone is doing, I became a Pirates supporter. No one told me to be a Pirates supporter, but with what I saw, it was like let me do something that is different to everyone else. There are quite a few Chiefs fans at home and they always used to wear their jerseys and stuff. That's my earliest memory as a Chiefs match. As someone who grew up in Cape Town, it's not like I went to watch a Pirates game from a young age. Clearly there is something I saw and I took to Orlando Pirates.
Can you remember some of the players who stood out for you back then?
William Okpara is one of the players who stood out. There was Papi Khomane, Dennis Lota, Jerry Sikhosana and the captain at the time, John Moeti. Those are the early memories I have and then it moved to the likes of Steve Lekoelea and Lesley Manyathela. The key players for me back then were those guys.
Do you have a favourite player from the ones you mentioned?
I played soccer and I played as a striker, midfielder and, weirdly, as a keeper. I was a big fan of William Okpara. I'd say the stand out in my time was him.
How far did you go with your football back then as a teenager?
I probably played all the sports growing up. I played soccer in winter. I played as a number nine and as a left wing. Then when my hockey started picking up, I started gravitating towards goalkeeping because it's basically the same thing in soccer and hockey. My cricket was also picking up because I was trying to stay away from the injuries, but I still wanted to be involved in all the games we used to play with my friends. So, instead of me being involved in injuries in the field, so I thought I should be a keeper. And, of course, in cricket I was a wicket keeper in cricket, so I was basically doing the same thing. I ended up being a trusted goalkeeper growing up. Penalties are something I was pretty good at as well.
Have you had an opportunity to watch Pirates at the stadium?
I did when I moved up to Joburg. Growing up in Cape Town, I never had an opportunity to watch a game. When I moved up to Joburg, I got to watch the Soweto derby when Benni McCarthy scored. I think it was 3-2 to Pirates. That was my first one that I watched and that was with my uncle who had come over with his partner to watch the game. That is a nice memory to have. It was an even better feeling that we won.
How important is it for Pirates to finish second in the Premiership and win the Nedbank Cup?
Since the coach has come in, I think we have been phenomenal. We are going back to the golden period of the double trebles. It's nice that we have seen a competitive Orlando Pirates since (Jose) Riveiro has been in charge. I think if we minimize the amount of draws, I think Pirates could potentially be a team that would get a lot closer to Sundowns. For me, it's just the amount of draws they have in a season, but I like what the coach has done with the team.
