Given, you've actually been around a while in the game of football in the topflight, going back to your days at Mpumalanga Black Aces. It's going to have to be a "Given take" situation – you give the funny stories, we take them in, ha, ha, ha. Let's do this!
Where do I start? During my first season with Aces, Clive Barker was the coach. When I signed, I was just learning, and I was playing with guys who are now not playing anymore. There were players like (Tshidiso) Tukane, (Onyekachi) Okonkwo, (Vincent) Kobola, (Thanduyise) Khuboni, (Collins) Mbesuma and Abia Nale. Muhsin Ertugral came during my second season, and I started to experience the life of football because I was involved. I remember this one time we were playing against Golden Arrows at Mbombela Stadium, and I started on the bench that day. We were trailing 2-0 in the first half after Gabadinho Mhango scored two goals and we went to the change room at half-time. Lehlohonolo Nonyane said he had a knock and that he would not be able to continue.
Okay, everything's going well at this point…
So, the coach said we could move the left winger to left back and then they would play me at left wing. Remember when I started, I was playing as a left winger. I had energy back then. The second half started, and I went in. Just after five minutes, Arrows got a free kick and Mhango scored his third goal. It was 3-0 and I had only been on the pitch for five minutes. I could see Bhongolwethu Jayiya outside, preparing himself to come on. I could see that the number that was being put up (by the fourth official) was my number, but I thought maybe they were taking out the number 17 from Arrows because it would not have made sense for me to go off after I had just come on. I took my mind off it, but I could see Jayiya was busy going up and down by the line and I kept thinking, "It's not me! It's not me." I was in denial, and I kept on saying, "It can't be me."
Eish, we can imagine what a stressful moment that was for you.
Yho, I was boiling! So, it was confirmed that I was the one going out. As I walked off and went towards the bench, I could see Jackson Mabokgwane was trying to signal to me to say, "Don't do it! Don't do it!" I could also see the other senior players on the bench saying, "Don't do it! Don't do it!" They could see I was upset. But when I went off, I took off my jersey and threw it straight in the coach's face. You know how Muhsin is. After doing something like that, you will really see who Muhsin is. He was so furious. He grabbed his hair, as if he was pulling it out. That guy was angry! I did not even sit on the bench. I went straight to the change room and I showered. After the match, we had a meeting in the change room and, as we were about to leave, he said, "Given, from today, I don't want to smell you at the training ground. I will be the one who tells you when to come back." I stayed away for about a month-and-a-half, waiting for him to tell me to get back to training. I think before the last game of the season against (Bloemfontein) Celtic, he sent me a text to come back and apologise. I remember we trained on Friday and left immediately to go to Mbombela. I arrived at training, after a month-and-a-half. I greeted him and he didn't greet me back. Then he had a small meeting before the session and then after that, he came to me and asked, "How can I help you?"
Ha, ha, ha! For real?
I said, "Coach, you sent me a message to come apologise." He said we would speak after the session. After the session, he took the back door and drove out. We did not speak. That's how he and I parted ways. Then the next season, John Comitis decided to buy Aces and called it Cape Town City. We had a derby game against Ajax Cape Town and he (Ertugral) was performance. Then he called all the guys who played for him at Aces for lunch. I was also there and he told me he was doing that at the time to build my character. We are good now. We communicate.
Well, all's good that ends well. But wait a minute, chap. Where did you get the bravery to throw your jersey in Ertugral's face?
Well, I've always been a good boy, but there's always an uncontrollable moment that you don't even know where it comes from. You only realise that you messed up afterwards, ha, ha, ha.
Ah, we get it. We want to hear more about your time at AmaZayoni.
Tukane was one of the craziest guys in the team. Don't take that guy to your place or else the whole team would know about it the following day. He couldn't drive back then, and I still think he can't drive to this day. But he is a great footballer, very talented.
Let's leave it there then. We must say you really were brave to take on Ertugral like that, ha, ha, ha.
Ha, ha, ha. Thank you, bro.
IN TOUCH FUN FACTS
Nickname: Shiki
Marital status: Married
Car: None
Boots: Nike Mercurial
Facebook or Twitter: None
Siyagobhoza or interviews: Interviews
Favourite TV programme: Football channels
Favourite celebrity: Katleho Maepho
