Losing someone close to you, such as a teammate, should be painful enough to make one lose focus. Imagine, then, losing a parent hours after your captain's demise. Ask Sanele Barns. First, the lightning-fast winger had to deal with the passing of teammate Siphamandla Mtolo in March, and then as he was learning to live with that tragic reality, his mother gave up the ghost. The one collapsed on the training pitch, the other took her own life – enough to drive one to the depths of despair and depression, but the 26-year-old continued to do his job diligently for Richards Bay FC, with both he and the club in their first season in the topflight. And he opens up on these sad events and their lingering effects in this interview with Soccer Laduma's Masebe Qina. The KwaMhlanga-born star also discusses the disappointing season they've had as a team following a bright start, while revealing what sort of support chairman Sifiso "Jomo" Biyela provided to his charges throughout these challenges.
Masebe Qina: Welcome to the Soccer Laduma pages, Sanele. The 2022/23 season has come and gone. What did you make of it?
Sanele Barns: Ja, I will begin answering your question by talking about myself. For me, it was more of a rollercoaster because if you can check, it was my first season in the PSL (topflight) and I wanted to learn as much as I could and adapt to the league very quickly. As for the team, it was one hell of a season because we started very well as a group, but as the season went on, we didn't do well. We didn't do as well as we thought we would do.
MQ: What led to the spectacular dip in form as seen in the second half of the season?
SB: I think we started losing our shape as a team and we didn't work as hard as we did in the first round of the season. Because things worked out well quickly for us in the beginning as we were collecting points, we thought it would be easy throughout the season. We were collecting more points than most teams, except for maybe only (Mamelodi) Sundowns. Towards the end, it wasn't easy and I think we didn't work hard enough to pick up enough points in the second round.
MQ: A drop like that, though, raises questions...
SB: Eish, bafo, into engingak'tshela yona ukuthi nje (brother, all I can tell you is that) we were disappointed. We were so disappointed that we would go so many games without winning and we were asking ourselves questions as to how that was even possible. It was very disappointing and as players and the technical team, we were worried that we were not doing well. But what worked for us was that even though we were not doing well, the other teams that were below us on the log were also not winning their games. Maybe that is what helped us to save the club (from relegation). Had those teams been winning their games, we would have been in big trouble.
MQ: We wonder what the chairman, Sifiso "Jomo" Biyela, was saying about the situation!
SB: Obviously, as the chairman and seeing your club in such a situation, you would be disappointed. However, as a leader, even if such a situation arises where things are not going well for the team, it doesn't mean that you must put pressure on the players and technical team. The chairman was always motivating us and would say, "Come on, boys, go and do your job and make sure you win the game." We understood that it was not easy for him as much as it was not easy for us as players and the technical team. As the chairman, he did what was expected of him very well in terms of ensuring that he was always there for the team to encourage us even if the chips were down.
MQ: What about coach Vasili Manousakis and the rest of the technical team? Weren't they pressing panic buttons, especially considering how bad results can impact a coach's future?
SB: They were encouraging us (and telling us) about not giving up. They kept on reminding us that it was our first season in the big league and therefore we should not drop our heads.
MQ: What lessons have you learnt from your first season in the topflight?
SB: We learnt that no matter what the situation is, we shouldn't allow anything to make us drop our heads. Also, we learnt that there is no room for complacency in football and that we should always guard against it. If you are doing well, you should always strive for more. So, those are some of the lessons we learnt. Look at Sundowns, for example. As you can also see, they are always doing well in the league, but they are never complacent. They are not taking things for granted and assuming that they will win a game without even having started playing.
MQ: In March, tragedy struck in the Natal Rich Boyz's camp, following the untimely death of Siphamandla "Spepe" Mtolo, who was captain. May his soul rest in peace. How did his passing affect the team?
SB: Ja, his passing affected us very much. We were so badly affected by his passing because bekuwu muntu ebesinaye sijima naye (he was someone we were always with and trained with), so when we got the tragic news of his death, it was difficult to take. When you are used to a person and had always been together with that person, you will obviously get affected when something tragic happens to that person. It took us some time to realise that we wouldn't see him again. It always felt like we would see him in the next training session or at the dinner table É or something like that. But the reality is that he is no more, and that we will never see him again.
MQ: How did the club help you deal with the situation professionally?
SB: The chairman and the technical team tried their best to help us deal with the situation. We had some sessions with the psychologists, which was one of the things that were of great help to us done by the club. We also attended prayer sessions with the pastors, and so on. We tried everything that we believed would make us heal quickly. Everyone played their part.
MQ: Moving on, your contribution at the club didn't go unnoticed after you scored four goals and made four assists from 26 matches in your first campaign with the KZN-based outfit.
SB: To be honest, my target was five goals and five assists. I came short of reaching my target, but I think I did fairly well. But at least I have something to build on in the new season. Overall, I think I played well and adapted well in my first season in the elite league and I just have to keep on working hard going forward to build on from what I achieved this past season. I have already set myself a target for next season and that is to score 10 goals and make 10 assists, and if I can keep on working hard, I think I can achieve that. It is possible.
MQ: How did you spend the off-season?
SB: I spent most of the time with my family. I recently lost my mother, and it was finally time to look back into that with my family while the season was on a recess.
MQ: We are sorry to hear about the loss of your mother. Our sincere condolences to your family. Do you mind sharing with us as to what led to her death?
SB: She committed suicide. She decided to hang herself. (Sanele starts getting emotional) I have no idea as to what was bothering her because she was someone I was talking to every day even though I was away while playing for Bay. I was very close to her. I don't know what triggered such an action for her. Even today, I'm still asking myself what might have happened to lead her to do that. At home, we are a family of four children Ð it's three guys and one girl, and I am the last-born.
MQ: With Spepe having also passed, it meant that you mourned two people close to you in a short space of time. We can imagine the emotional toll.
SB: Yeah, for me, it was a double blow. It was on a Tuesday, the 7th of March, when my captain passed away and then on the 8th, my mother left us, exactly the following day. It's life.
MQ: Again, we are sorry, brother. Keep strong. Do you have any of your siblings also playing football?
SB: Yes, there is one brother of mine who is playing football but on a part-time basis because he is permanently employed elsewhere. He played in the SAB League last season and they lost in the play-offs from what I understand.
MQ: So, what's the plan for the new season for Richards Bay FC?
SB: The plan is simple and that is to compete for the Top Eight and anything beyond that will be a bonus. I think we've got everything we need for the upcoming season in terms of preparedness because we learnt a lot of things from the previous season. We need to make sure that we protect the team from any danger of being in a precarious position and we need to make our mark as a recognised Top Eight team in the league.
MQ: Good luck as you get ready for what promises to be another hectic DStv Premiership season.
SB: Ndiyabulela tata (Thank you, big man).
