Hola Paseka, thanks for making time to be with us for a second week. You had us in stitches last week with your stories from Bidvest Wits, Richards Bay and TS Sporting. What more do you have for us this week?
I remember when I was at TS Sporting, there was someone who told Benson Mhlongo that I sometimes read the Bible and pray. So, whenever we would have a meeting or get together as a team before a match, coach Benson would say 'hey pastor, get up' and then I would have to pray for the guys. Then it started becoming a joke in the team and the guys would call me 'Moruti' (Pastor), ha, ha, ha.
Ha, ha, ha.
Even when they would see me doing something wrong, they would say 'Moruti'. So, it just became a thing in the team. But it was good, ha, ha, ha. Sometimes the guys would say 'this pastor is fake' and all of those things, ha, ha, ha. They used to make fun of me for praying. It was just a funny thing that we had in the team, but I don't know who told coach Benson that I read the Bible and pray because that's how it all started.
Ha, ha, ha. How did your prayers go whenever coach Mhlongo asked you to pray?
I would pray as normal, since I'm someone who's rooted in prayer and the things of God.
And did you like it when they called you Moruti?
Ha, ha, ha. it wasn't really a big deal for me. I embraced it and I would preach to the players in the team or give them scriptures here and there.
We hope the players would listen to your words of wisdom…
Ha, ha, ha. Some of them would actually listen to me, especially the younger players in the team. But you know how it is with the older gents…
Ha, ha, ha. Yeah, you know how it is. That's a funny story to start with, so we can all start calling you 'Moruti' going forward. Let's continue…
Ha, ha, ha. When I was playing for Bidvest Wits, I scored my first goal against Kaizer Chiefs. It was a big game, and we were playing at FNB Stadium. I was on the bench when the game started. 'Vila' (Sibusiso Vilakazi) started ahead of me. He was the captain and the leader, so I was happy to be on the bench because I was scared to start the game. At half time, 'Vila' was a bit injured, but he still went on in the second half and played for about 10 minutes. Then, coach Gavin Hunt was like 'Paseka, you are going on'. I was shaking a bit, but I went on. I played and after a few minutes, I ran into the box – they crossed the ball and I scored. What was incredible about that is that it was the first time ever scoring with my head since I started playing football. It was my first professional goal and I could not believe that I scored it with my head. Then, I played for another few minutes and got injured and I went out, ha, ha, ha. That was how it ended that day. It was a short time on the field. At the end of the game, I got man of the match.
How shocked were you that you scored with your head that day?
I was surprised because I knew that I was not good with my head, ha, ha, ha. And everyone knew that as well. They were like 'yoh, you scored with your head'. So, they were surprised. But it was such a big moment for me. I was happy. I think that's the only goal people remember me scoring because it was against Chiefs. Chiefs are obviously a big team, so people remember. Even when I am walking, they say 'it's that boy who scored against Chiefs'. It was a big moment for me.
We are sure you will never forget it as well.
When I was at Richards Bay, we would usually chill at the club house after the game or go to the beach or have a braai. That would obviously be after winning a game because we would want to celebrate. There was this one time when we won a game, and we were making a noise at the clubhouse until the early hours of the morning. The coach (Simo Dladla) and management were mad. So, they called a meeting before training to ask who was making a noise. They called out three names. But the rest of us were like 'if we don't go there, they are going to punish these three guys'. So, all of us went there and we were like 'all of us were making a noise'. It was kind of like a team spirit vibe. Then the coach said 'all of you were there? Okay, next time I am going to punish you'. In a way, we saved the other guys, ha, ha, ha.
That's a smart way of coming together to outsmart the coach and management, ha, ha, ha.
Yes, of course. If one suffers, then we all suffer. The coach did not expect that to happen, ha, ha, ha.
Ha, ha, ha. Thank you so much for your time, Moruti. It was great having you with us. Good luck going forward.
Thank you for the opportunity, my brother.
By Tshepang Mailwane
IN TOUCH FUN FACTS
Nickname: Kaka or Maestro
Marital status: In a serious relationship
Boots: Nike Mercurial Vapor
Favourite teammate: Tony Zwane
Favourite roommate: Tshepo Mabua
Favourite food: Mince and mac cheese
Favourite footballer: Zinedine Zidane
Best friend in football: Abednego Mosiatlhaga
