It is often said that any foreigner who comes to ply his trade in the PSL needs to be better than the talent available locally, and only an unreasonable person would say Kennedy Mweene fell short of that standard. Having so far spent two years short of 20 years in South Africa, he is considered an insider from the outside. Focused, determined and clean-living, you never read a bad story about him in the press during a playing career that uprooted him from his home country of Zambia to the modest town of Bethlehem, where he turned out for Free State Stars as from 2005, before Mamelodi Sundowns came calling some seven years later. The Lusaka-born man may not have necessarily played as much as he would have wanted at the Chloorkop-based side, but when he hung up his boots in July this year, the former goalkeeper left a legacy of a fantastic athlete who was the life of the dressing room, always ready to step in whenever called upon. In this interview, Soccer Laduma's Zola Doda relives the life and times of Kennedy Mweene inside the pitch with the man himself. Enjoy the reminiscences!
Zola Doda: Kennedy, first and foremost, how is life after retirement?
Kennedy Mweene: I think I'm fortunate that after I retired from playing, I was appointed the assistant goalkeeper coach (at Mamelodi Sundowns). Everything is more or less the same, it's positions that have changed. But everything is still the same. I have realised that there's a lot of work now that is done behind the scenes. As a player, I knew that the programme was designed by the coaches and all of a sudden now I'm one of the people who are designing the programme. But it's something I'm passionate about… I'm enjoying it!
ZD: Was it an easy decision to hang up your boots because let's be honest, you could have played for another few more years?
KM: I started thinking about retiring a year before last. I told myself that I cannot play football forever, I can be helping upcoming players when coaching. But it wasn't difficult. The first thing that you need to do when you are about to retire is to accept that you have contributed. It's all good. I told myself that when I'm done playing this is what I will be doing. I was given a platform by Sundowns and this is something I'm passionate about. I told myself when I turned 30 that there is life after football and I need to prepare myself, as it's not easy to make a transition from playing to be one of the technical staff (members). It's not easy. After 30, that is when I started thinking along those lines. It was in my mind all along. It has to be in your head as a player that one day I'm going to retire and you need to start thinking about what are you going to do. I contributed in football in the way I could, in the PSL. I don't regret anything. I'm still in topflight (football) and even the learning has been quicker because there is something new to learn, especially if you are a coach. It's easy to learn from coach Rulani (Mokwena), coach Manqoba (Mngqithi), coach Michael (Loftman) and coach Wendell (Robinson). It's very important because when I was playing, these are the people who were coaching me. It's like starting from Grade 1 and learning how things are done on the side of coaching. I still have a lot to learn. I'm taking my time and I'm learning every single day. It's interesting because you start looking at things differently.
ZD: Is it fair to say that as a player, you achieved most of your success after you turned 30?
KM: (Laughing) That's true, that's true. When I came to South Africa, I joined Free State Stars and credit must go to them and the late Mike Mokoena – he treated us like we were his kids. I learnt a lot in South Africa from Free State Stars. When Sundowns came knocking, I was just coming from the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. Ntate Mokoena called me to his office and said, "Sundowns wants you, what are you thinking?" I wasn't sure at the time, but after we sat down, Ntate Mokoena said to me, "Look, you are a bigger player and I want you to go and face other challenges." After he said that… you know when an owner of your team gives you his blessings to leave, I took that and told myself, "Let me go and learn new things", and that is how I came to Sundowns and started winning all the trophies after the age of 30. Can you imagine? I achieved most of my success with Sundowns. League titles, CAF Champions League, Nedbank Cup, MTN8, Telkom Knockout… all those things I achieved at Sundowns.
ZD: When you look back at your career, what are some of your fondest memories?
KM: I only played for two teams in South Africa and the similar thing which I found at both clubs is the spirit of brotherhood. I was very fortunate to find myself in the dressing rooms of these two clubs. We were treating each like brothers, we were reprimanding each other when we made mistakes or didn't have a good game. Before the coach could even criticise you, your fellow players would tell you where you went wrong. That stands out. Winning the CAF Champions League (stands out), but the sweetest trophy is my first league title in 2013. The first league title with Sundowns started everything and I cherished it more. It opened up everything.
ZD: What was so special about that league title?
KM: It was my first trophy in South Africa and I had just come back from the Africa Cup of Nations. It will remain the highlight of my career because it was my first title and it opened up a lot of things. Whatever came, came afterwards.
ZD: Let's go back to the beginning. How did your move to South Africa come about?
KM: I was a third-choice goalkeeper in the national team and we were playing World Cup qualifiers against Togo and we lost the match. When we came back to Zambia, Kalusha Bwalya, who was the coach, said, "I want to try this one, Kennedy, in the COSAFA." So, I started against Malawi and played well. Free State Stars were in Zambia to watch Malawian goalkeeper, Swadic Sanudi. Free State Stars coach Themba Sithole changed his mind and decided to sign me instead. I came to Qwa-Qwa, and that's how I ended up in South Africa. Adapting to life (in Mzansi) was good because I was 19 years old and I was about to turn 20, so I was still young. There was a language barrier, but I had to teach myself Sesotho. That is how I started to learn about the culture of South Africa and the environment because I was trying to fit in. It wasn't easy and also because in Qwa-Qwa when it's cold, it's very cold – that is one thing I struggled with. After the team was relegated, I wanted to go back to Zambia, but Ntate Mokoena said, "You are my child, I'm not releasing you and this team will come up again", and I listened to him. All the Zambian players who came to South Africa with me, Joseph Musonda and Clive Hachilensa, went back and I remained. We only played one season in the NFD (National First Division, now Motsepe Foundation Championship) and came back. I didn't even feel that I was playing in the NFD because I was still playing for the national team.
ZD: And Siphiwe Tshabalala was part of that Ea Lla Koto team, right?
KM: Yes, he was. Siphiwe signed when we went down. After we got promoted, he only played for a short period and was sold to Kaizer Chiefs. We had a strong team and we did a lot of things together. We had Duncan Lechesa, Hleza Mofedi, Jimmy Kauleza, Joe Bwalya, the late Adam Ndlovu, Mpho Makola, Thabo Matlaba, Manti Moholo, Noah Chivuta, Chintu Kampamba. It was like a family. Bethlehem is a very small town and there was nothing much to do, so we spent a lot of time together. I'm one person (that) wherever I am, there are no dull moments. There is always laughter. There was just a good time and we used to play for each other, and that is one thing which I loved about the team.
ZD: After spending eight years in the Free State, you finally joined the Brazilians in 2013. Big move.
KM: I wanted to go to greener pastures and challenge myself. When you are playing in any league, you want to say you won a trophy. I wanted to win trophies and Sundowns came to me. The timing was right to come to Sundowns. Back home, they always ask me, "Why is Sundowns always winning the league?" When you watch the PSL on TV, you would think that it's easy, it looks easy. PSL is too fast and the advice I gave to young ones, like Augustine Mulenga and Justine Shonga, is that PSL is different. Here it's all about thinking quick and the ball moves quicker. There's a lot of thinking. It's not easy, we are sweating to get results. The standard of the PSL is very high and it keeps improving in every season. It's not the Farmers' League. I know it looks easy when you see the results, but every game we play like we are fighting relegation. That is the motto here.
ZD: Mind telling us about the tougher striker you played against?
KM: I will say this over and over again, Mabhudi Khenyeza was a problem. Mabhudi would make you uncomfortable as a goalkeeper. Fadlu Davids and Thamsanqa Gabuza as well, and that is because of their aggression. They could press the whole back four alone because of their aggression and, as a goalkeeper, I couldn't play the ball with my feet the way I wanted to play. They were always there, they would put you under pressure. Even in corner kicks, they will bump you and make you uncomfortable. When playing against them, I knew that it wouldn't be an easy game.
ZD: Which goalkeeper did you admire from other clubs in South Africa?
KM: It was Rowen Fernandez because of his distribution accuracy. Even before I came to South Africa from Zambia, I used to watch him. He had accurate passing. He was a good shot-stopper. These days, people talk about the Manchester City goalkeeper, Ederson, saying that he can kick the ball hard, but they are only seeing it now. Fernandez used to do that to Collins Mbesuma. The ball would go straight from Rowen to Collins for a goal. Rowen was the first goalkeeper I saw doing the volley kicks when he was still at Kaizer Chiefs. I used to admire him a lot, he was a good goalkeeper.
ZD: Add yourself to the list as well, you indeed were a good goalkeeper. No one could take penalty kicks like you. Kennedy, thanks a lot for your time and hopefully you had a great birthday on Monday.
KM: Thanks a lot, my brother.
